Self Confidence Through Positive Thinking

Self Confidence through Positive Thinking

So much depends on your state of mind. Negative thoughts and feelings only bring you down and lower your confidence level. If you want to enjoy more self-confidence, utilize the power of positive thinking.

The most important step to being confident is to believe that you're worthy of being confident. This can require an entire change in your mindset until you're truly happy with the person you've become. It might not be easy, and it might not be a quick change, but it's well worth the effort.

Self-talk is one form of building confidence through positive thinking. Positive affirmations can replace negative thoughts in your mind and lead to a better self-image. You must get in the habit of praising yourself for a job well done, for trying something new or for any other behavior that you would like to encourage.

It might seem silly at first to constantly tell yourself, "Way to go!" every time you do your job, but you need to focus on this kind of self-talk until thinking positively about yourself becomes a habit.

A more visual form of positive self-talk is to make a written list of your best

qualities. Really take your time and write down every single positive thing about yourself, from the aspects of your appearance you feel proudest of, to the activities you do best. When you've finished your list, store it somewhere safe but easy to find. Whenever you start feeling down and defeated, simply pull out your list and replace the negative thoughts with your list of great qualities.

Creative visualization is a popular technique that helps people achieve their goals. The idea of visualization is that you repeatedly envision a desired outcome. In a way, it's a form of focused daydreaming. If you were a basketball player, you would visualize yourself sinking a free throw with perfect form. If you're working to improve your self-confidence, you would want to visualize some action that embodies confidence for you. Perhaps it would be giving a speech or being a social butterfly at a gala event. Some suggest that you should make some small movement while visualizing, like touching two fingers together, in order to imprint the feeling that comes along with the vision. Then later you can bring the desired feeling to the forefront by repeating the movement. The larger idea, though, is that the visualization is a form of practice for the outcome you would like to see.

When someone gives you a compliment, how do you react? Some people with low confidence will refuse to accept the compliment by saying something like, "Oh, I just threw this outfit together, " or "It wasn't really my best work." Others accept the compliment on the surface but silently counter the sentiment in their minds. Compliments should build your confidence in your positive qualities instead of becoming a case study in how your lack confidence. Dedicate yourself to accepting compliments gracefully and without any backtalk on the part of your mind.

Are there negative people in your life? If someone seems to live only to make fun of you and put you down, you should really question whether you need that person in your life. Even if it means leaving behind a relationship or cutting ties with a family member, if a person can't respect you, you will make it without that person.

Sometimes the worst feedback we receive comes from ourselves. We say that we're stupid when we make a mistake or that we're worthless if we don't get a job. Just when you think you're feeling fine, these doubts return. In order to build confidence, you must get rid of all self-defeating thoughts. Sometimes a small punishment works as a deterrent. Perhaps you could make a commitment to putting money in a jar every time you have a negative thought about yourself or doubt your abilities. Do whatever it takes to remove these negative thoughts from your mind.

It's all about balance. If you focus on positive thoughts and remove negative influences from your life, you'll be rewarded with a renewed sense of self-confidence.