To build confidence you will occasionally have to push yourself to do things you
don’t feel like doing and put yourself on the line. Welcome every opportunity.
Avoiding fresh challenges, difficult people and awkward situations is never grati-
fying in the long term and just keeps you stuck as you are now.
In a recent study by sociologist Dr Anthony Campolo, a sample of the over
nineties were asked what they would do differently if they had to go back and do
it all again. Most said they would take more risks. They regretted the opportuni-
ties they had lost because they were afraid of taking risks.
Of course taking risks invites failure, but that’s OK. You can’t expect to sail
through life without coming a cropper sometimes, it’s a natural part of human
experience. Babies learning to walk topple over many times. As adults we too will
fall, recover our balance and get back on our feet again. Nobody gets everything
right all the time.
Go on – take a risk(you know you want to)! If it feels uncomfortable it’s only
because you’re not used to it. Change always feels uncomfortable at first, because
your past conditioning tries to hold on to your old ways. Confident people don’t
always succeed, but they do always enjoy trying and they don’t feel any less a
person if they fail.
Be willing to confront your fears. Feel the fear, but don’t be affected by it. You
don’t have to do everything perfectly. Just being yourself and having a go is
enough.
(^37) Take a risk