Here are our favorite self-confidence quotes and thoughts on how you apply them to your life.
Before we get started, let’s start with the definition of self-confidence: Belief in oneself and in one’s powers and abilities
How do you rate your current level of self-confidence?
What would you do with an unbreakable belief in yourself? Would you start a business? Ask a special someone out on a date? Pick up a new hobby?
Our first two quotes are from a famous President and the Creator of Peter Pan
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Theodore Roosevelt
“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” J. M. Barrie
We put these two together because they are getting at the same principle of self-belief: if you think you’re capable of doing something, your odds of successfully doing it are greatly improved, and the opposite (self-doubt) is also true.
Think about something you know how to do that you successfully do all the time. Now, think about something you struggle with every time you do it. Parallel parking and public speaking come to mind for me. If you think you’re good at these, it’s probably no big deal for you to do it. If you doubt your ability to do them, you probably struggle every time.
Henry Ford summed up perfectly: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
Our next comes from a renowned Playwright
“We are always the same age inside.” Gertrude Stein
This can be a difficult idea for someone younger than 30 to embrace, but it typically gets easier for people once they hit 40. The takeaway is that we shouldn’t let our age dictate what we think we should want or try to do. Yuichiro Miura, suffering from a heart condition, climbed Mount Everest for the first time at age 70, and again at 75. Figure out what you want, learn how to do it, and make it happen!
Moving on to our next two favorites are from an famous Essayist and an Icon
“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The key to life is accepting challenges. Once someone stops doing this, (s)he’s dead.” Bette Davis
We put these two together because they are getting at the same principle of the importance of striving, which is making great efforts to achieve or attain something.
Fear and uncertainty can keep us stuck. When we’re stuck, we’re not moving and nothing is being created. We’ve all felt the inertia of doing the same thing over and over again and not feeling like we’re getting anywhere. In order to break free of that inertia, we need to face the fear.
How? By choosing discomfort over comfort and accepting challenges. It’s easy to choose comfort. To hit snooze when your alarm goes off. To put “it” off until tomorrow.
Instead, recognize when and where you’re choosing comfort and identify any fears that are causing you to make that decision. Then, embrace that fear. Once you’re in the habit of doing uncomfortable and difficult things, your self-belief will increase. Think about how Cal Ripkin, Jr played in 2,632 consecutive baseball games and what it took to make that happen!
Which leads us to our next two favorites
“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” Lao Tzu
“Don’t waste your energy trying to change opinions…Do your thing, and don’t care if they like it.” Tina Fey
Once you figure this out, the world opens up to you. You realize that your thinking and work are unique and important.
Each of us must “run our own race.” We must focus on our work and do our best to not spend too much time looking around at what everyone else is doing.
As Teddy Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It can cause us to second guess ourselves, and the world needs you to be fully committed to your work. While we advocate being mindful of work-life balance, there are legendary stories of Elon Musk sleeping on the Tesla factory floor in order to hit deadlines and change the automobile industry.
Finally, our last quote is by Marcus Aurelius
“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.”
It’s there. We all have it. You were born perfect and authentically you. Find your strength and true self by peeling back the layers that have been piled on you by others over the years.
Can anyone develop self-confidence?
Like a muscle that can be strengthened through exercise, or atrophy from lack of use, self-confidence can be developed by everyone.
We develop it by consistently showing ourselves that we’re capable of doing hard and uncomfortable things. Things like waking up earlier, exercising, learning new things, or pushing ourselves emotionally.
Doing something once won’t get you there. Doing it for a week, then a month, then a year, that’s what’s going to foster belief and confidence in yourself.
You learn, you get better, and you become confident.
First, decide what you want to do. Next, learn how to do it. Then, put a plan of action in place that will get you what you want. From there, take the first step.
“Taking the first step” is one of those things that sounds easy, but is really hard.
Whatever you do, don’t negotiate with yourself. Your brain (or body) will try and talk you out of doing it in favor of comfort. When it’s time to take that first step, TAKE IT!
Embrace the fear and discomfort. You can do it.
As always I encourage you to talk with someone about what you’re working to get better at. Talk to a friend, coworker, or your favorite cousin. Don’t feel like doing that? Get info on coaching and hop on a call.
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