Self-confidence is the difference between feeling invincible and vulnerable. Your level of self-confidence essentially boils down to your self-perception. The opinion you have of yourself, whether positive or negative, becomes your reality. Many people struggle to find self-confidence. If yours is lacking, a few steps might give it the boost it needs.
Body Language
Some people exude self-confidence. Self-assurance may expressed through body language such as holding your head high with shoulders back. A self-confident person essentially has faith in his own abilities.
Opposite
A person with low self-confidence might harbor feelings of insecurity. Poor self-confidence can be characterized by persistent self-doubt, feelings of inadequacy and lack of trust in oneself and in others. Feelings of inferiority can result in passive and submissive behaviors, social withdrawal and oversensitivity to criticism.
Resiliency
A self-confident person is able to listen to criticism with an objective ear and learn from it with an optimistic attitude. In contrast, a person with low-self confidence might react to a disapproving comment or advice on how to improve by questioning his overall competency.
Achievable
It's possible to develop self-confidence if you have the determination to do so. Start by thinking positive thoughts about yourself. Recognize your accomplishments, however small they might seem to be. Give yourself credit for your achievements rather than brushing them off by chalking them up to luck. Remember that self-confidence is only a feeling. Spend a few minutes each day thinking about the times you have felt the most confident. As time goes on, these positive self-images can become second nature.
Self-Confidence vs. Self-Esteem
Self-confidence is closely tied to self esteem. A person with high self-esteem recognizes and trusts her worth as a human being. A self-confident person feels good about his inherent value and is willing to take risks and set achievable goals.
Situational
Self-confidence is not always absolute. It can be relative to the situation or task at hand. For example, Mary might be very confident about her dancing abilities but lacks confidence in her computer skills. She might realize that her chances of successfully learning a new computer program on the first attempt is only about 50 percent. A self-confident person realizes and accepts that he has both strengths and weaknesses.
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Balancing Act
Self-confidence doesn't mean you have an attitude of arrogance or believe that you are better than anyone else. A person who is arrogant might be unrealistic about their strengths and talents and be unwilling to acknowledge her weaknesses. Arrogance is sometimes little more that a cover-up for insecurity. A self-confident person has a positive self-image while maintaining humility.
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