Years ago I was terrified of public speaking. I mean truly terrified! When I was in high school and college, I would avoid any classes that required presentations. Before I started graduate school, I was offered a job on a college campus to be the coordinator of their sexual assault prevention program. I was excited about this offer because I was passionate about the topic. Well… I was excited until I learned that my biggest responsibility would be to make presentations to the first year women students. Presentations! Ugghh! Despite my first reaction, which was to run away, I did take the job. I was a nervous wreck for the first several presentations. After a while I started to like giving the presentations. Funny how that works! Now, I absolutely love public speaking!
Sometimes jumping in with both feet is the best way to build confidence (like I did with public speaking). Other times, a more subtle approach is best. You may feel confident in some areas of your life and totally lack confidence in other areas. When you are faced with a situation for which you lack confidence, you can draw on the confidence you have in other areas. Close your eyes and imagine a time when you felt confident. Use all of your senses to recreate this time in your mind’s eye as vividly as you can. Feel the confidence growing and expanding to fill your whole being. After you do this imagery you will be feeling more confident and better able to tackle the task at hand.
In which areas of your life do you feel confident? In which areas do you lack confidence? How do you build confidence?
Years ago I was terrified of public speaking. I mean truly terrified! When I was in high school and college, I would avoid any classes that required presentations. Before I started graduate school, I was offered a job on a college campus to be the coordinator of their sexual assault prevention program. I was excited about this offer because I was passionate about the topic. Well… I was excited until I learned that my biggest responsibility would be to make presentations to the first year women students. Presentations! Ugghh! Despite my first reaction, which was to run away, I did take the job. I was a nervous wreck for the first several presentations. After a while I started to like giving the presentations. Funny how that works! Now, I absolutely love public speaking!
Sometimes jumping in with both feet is the best way to build confidence (like I did with public speaking). Other times, a more subtle approach is best. You may feel confident in some areas of your life and totally lack confidence in other areas. When you are faced with a situation for which you lack confidence, you can draw on the confidence you have in other areas. Close your eyes and imagine a time when you felt confident. Use all of your senses to recreate this time in your mind’s eye as vividly as you can. Feel the confidence growing and expanding to fill your whole being. After you do this imagery you will be feeling more confident and better able to tackle the task at hand.
In which areas of your life do you feel confident? In which areas do you lack confidence? How do you build confidence?