One of my favorite quotes that instantly puts things into perspective is one on confidence and courage by Melanie Koulouris – “Be humble in your confidence yet courageous in your character”.
Fortunately, life has its own way of guiding us to becoming confident and courageous. I am privileged to have had opportunities to working with people from all walks of life throughout my career. From coaching a young girl who wanted to build a career in finance to coaching a C-suite leader who was passionate about making a positive impact, it became clear to me that confidence and courage were the two essential skills for living a life of honesty. When our heart is open, and the mind is awake, we can really make miracles happen. By giving every situation, every moment in life our best and by consistently doing the right thing, we can become role models of confidence and courage. We all have the power to inspire people towards what we strongly believe in. Here, I share with you the top three things you can do to display confidence and courage in every aspect of your life.Building Courage
Play an equal – Recently, I coached the executives of one of the fastest growing IT firms in the Middle East and South East Asian region. We learned how to play an equal with a client and stand for our convictions. By redesigning their values and beliefs, the employees were able to raise themselves to the next level of service and performance. When we play an equal with the right motivation, we are able to take and display pride in our work.Show grace under fire – One of the most important lessons I have learned is to be able to hold on to grace when giving up is the easiest thing to do. Grace is present within all of us. Always remember this in times of crises and you will emerge a stronger person.
Take risks to grow – Growth is a natural process. How we consciously contribute to our growth often sets the direction for our life. Take risks to really grow into the person you wish to become. Seek out working with people who are professional and use their voice for nurturing rather than those who raise their voice to create fear.
Building Confidence
Know who you are – If you think you are born to be great, then you are born to be great. This is an example of the power of thought. I learned through difficult circumstances of my life that I am a child of God and everything that I truly need shall be given to me to fulfill my potential. This awareness makes me feel humble and stay receptive to greatness in every moment of life. Always remember who you are and you will stay confident.Speak up for yourself – When we take charge of our lives, it offers us the most beautiful experiences. Create the space to speak up for what you think, believe and stand up for. You must know your own NUTs (Non-negotiable Unaltered terms) and apply them in practice when the moment arises.
Prepare yourself for success – Fortunately, confidence can be built by creating certainty and certainty can be created by preparing ourselves to learn. You may worry you were simply not born with confidence. Author Maureen Healy’s years of research confirms that your biology is not your destiny. You can increase your confidence by adding few things to your routine – eating a fruit a day, taking one person growth class a month, sleeping well.
Communicating Well
Listen with silence – Silence is the presence of the divine, the language of the universe. Silence allows us to reflect both deeply and honestly. When we have a strong relationship with ourselves, we are able to navigate our life towards our true north. It is in silence that you can create the most beautiful and powerful version of yourself. In silence, you can create a new reality, a voice from your higher self. If your reality tells you that you are a sick person trying to get well, in silence, you can turn it around to become a healthy person fighting off sickness.Ask powerful questions – Do take out time to ask yourself why are you doing what you are doing? Is it important to you personally? Does it bring you happiness, joy, peace of mind? Do you do it with your heart and soul? Is it aligned with the vision of your life? Questioning everything brings clarity in your life. And a clear mind is a creative mind.
As Dr. Moshe Bar has said – “Innovative thinking, not routine ideation, is our default cognitive mode when our minds are clear”.Collaborate with good intentions – When we work with people with good intentions, opportunities manifest themselves. Good-hearted people with great intentions uplifts our spirit and open our eyes to the abundance that exists in this world. I experienced this when one of my coaches from New York contributed towards a cross-cultural programme I intended to run for a global information technology firm. I learned that “ask and you shall receive” is a truly powerful adage that we can rely on at all times.
Author Brene Brown says, “Believing that you are enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic”. Imagine how we can turn our lives around when we build within ourselves the confidence to dream and the courage to pursue these dreams.
Happy dreaming!
Vivel Slaria is a certified Executive Coach & founder of Originbluy, an executive coaching, management consulting, and professional training firm.
