“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” 〰️ Confucius
Self-confidence, as defined by the Oxford English language dictionary, is said to be a feeling of trust in one's abilities, qualities, and judgment.
Self-confidence is both an attitude and a skill. And while the whole “nature vs. nurture” topic will always be greatly debated, I think it's important to remember that as human beings we are also neuroplastic, and capable of both adopting new attitudes and learning new skills. The key is consistency. Just like in yoga, you just gotta keep showing up. You just gotta keep on practicing.
And when it comes to self-confidence – speaking from my own experience & struggles along my journey – I'm learning that a BIG part of creating this shift from self-doubt to self-belief is showing up even when you don't feel like it. Even when it's challenging. And especially when it's a little bit scary. Because I've found that the goals and experiences that both excite me and terrify me are usually the ones worth going for.
Now don't get me wrong, of course, you've got to weigh the risks versus the rewards in certain situations, but what I'm getting at is that we are all FAR more capable than we think we are. And while fear is there for a reason – it's a healthy emotion and it serves a purpose to help keep us safe (highly recommend reading The Fear Project by Jaimal Yogis if you haven't yet) – playing it too safe can often lead to feelings of fragility. Like you may never want to leave the house again kinda thing…
And if there's anything I've come to understand about the human body after years of studying (& continuing to study) yoga, anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics – it's that we are inherently strong, durable, resilient, and adaptable beings. We sure as hell aren't made of glass. And sometimes falling, flailing, failing, and then picking ourselves back up again, is the best way to learn as well as to build TRUST in one's self – aka self-confidence.
The showing up is the pathway, and just like in yoga, it doesn't really matter how we show up, it just matters that we do. Because each & every time we show up we learn something new. We gain experience, insight, perspective... And while there will often be many obstacles in our path of showing up, each time we show up we choose to overcome those obstacles (like excuses, fear, self-doubt, and limiting beliefs…) and we strengthen this ability to trust ourselves a little bit more.
Think about it this way: You've already made it through 100% of your bad days up until this moment right now. That percentage is pretty dang good. And think about all of the wisdom you've gained along the journey so far!
So why would you ever even doubt your ability to make it through any other challenges, set backs, or uncomfortable moments that are sent your way? And could you maybe, possibly, take a moment to hold space for the massive potential of growth & learning that those future moments might bring??