confidence – Personal Growth Cafe

October 29, 2019March 27, 2018

You have to have confidence in your ability. And then be tough enough to follow through. – Rosalynn Carter

August 7, 2019March 26, 2018

Build Confidence With Daily Affirmations

Do you suffer from low self-esteem?

When something negative happens in your life, do you beat yourself up about it time and time again?

Focusing on phrases such as: “That was stupid,” “I am so fat,” “No one loves me,” and a host of other negative statements can easily zap the happiness right out of your life.

Luckily, this doesn’t have to be permanent.

Positive affirmations can turn your negativity around.

Affirmations are simply statements or phrases, which focus on the positive rather than the negative.

These mantras can actually reprogram your subconscious thinking and bring you a plethora of good benefits that you’ll enjoy for years to come!

Here are some easy ways to incorporate positive affirmations into your life:

1. Affirmations should always be in the present tense. Begin your statements with “I can” “I have” or “I am,” instead of a phrase like “I will” or “I may.”

Examples of this would be “I have a beautiful body” and “I am so intelligent,” instead of “I will never be so stupid again.”

Choose statements that focus on the positive attributes you want to encourage, saying them as if you already exhibit that behavior.

2. Address yourself by name when expressing your affirmations.

Believe it or not, this does make a big difference. When you say: “I, Jane Doe, am a beautiful person both inside and out,” it makes your affirmation more powerful because you hear the lovely sound of your own name!

Using your name in the affirmations allows your subconscious to process the words even quicker.

3. Focus on one or two affirmations to start with.

Although you possess many positive attributes, it’s best to focus only on one or two when you’re first starting out.

If you start with twenty positive affirmations, your subconscious may be overwhelmed or dismiss the deeper meaning.

For example, if you meet someone who goes on and on about how great and beautiful you are, what’s your reaction?

Usually after the second or third compliment, you tend to wonder if this person is actually being sincere!

The same principal applies to practicing many affirmations at once.

Focus on one or two, and when they’re firmly planted into your subconscious, you can move on to more.

4. Practice your affirmations as often as possible.

Our subconscious mind is more open to suggestions when we first open our eyes in the morning and then again when we’re ready to fall asleep at night.

The more often you recite your affirmations, the faster you’ll experience lasting changes.

5. Don’t fret if you’re having trouble writing your affirmations.

There are many books and self-improvement websites that include hundreds of good, daily affirmations.

You can then pick out one or two that you’d like to focus on and get started.

Don’t let something as insignificant as not being able to compose a positive mantra hold you back from making changes and incorporating happiness into your life!

Low self-esteem is something that holds us back from living the life we deserve.

You can rebuild your confidence and self-esteem with daily affirmations and experience the joy of life you’ve been missing.

Try it and you’ll love it!

What changes can you make to strengthen yourself in this area?

How often do you accept your mistakes without beating yourself up?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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July 16, 2019March 25, 2018

You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through. – Rosalynn Carter

July 4, 2019March 25, 2018

I keep myself moving forward.

I have many tools in my toolbox that I can use to keep myself heading toward my goals.

The ones I use most often are my action plan success strategy, affirmations, self-reflection, and time management.

My action plan success strategy sets me up for victory.

I take the time to divide my goals into small steps that I know will get me to my destination.

In my plan, each task that I complete brings me one step closer toward the achievement of my goals.

Part of my strategy that keeps me motivated is that I celebrate every success, no matter how small.

Every time I complete a task in my action plan, I reward myself.

I allow myself to feel good about it and I look forward to completing the next task to continue my success.

Positive affirmations help keep me focused on my goals and banish thoughts of self-doubt.

I repeat affirmations to myself at least twice each day and again each time I need a boost to my confidence.

Self-reflection also helps me move forward.

When I reflect, I visualize living my dreams as if it’s happening in the present.

I experience it with all my senses and feel the wonderful emotions of being there. It motivates me to make my dreams a priority.

Lastly, my time management skills bring everything together.

I consciously put time in my schedule for making my action plan, working on my tasks every day, and reflecting about myself.

Everything works together seamlessly with good time management!

Today, I plan to use my time effectively to keep myself moving forward toward my goal, allowing time for goal planning, completing action steps, and self-reflection.

How have you taken the time to create your plan of action steps?

What motivates you to do what is necessary to achieve your dreams?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 18, 2019March 23, 2018

Loving Your Feminine Body

With the media today focusing on super skinny women, it’s hard to think that you could possibly be desirable if you don’t look like the women on TV and in magazines.

The reality is, the average woman in America weighs 164 lbs. and is a size 14.

A positive self-image is one of the top things most women struggle with.

So, how can you learn to love your body the way it is?

First of all, you need to focus on what you do like about your body.

Here are some questions to get you thinking about the things you DO like about yourself:

What areas do you get complimented on the most?

What do others notice about you first when you walk into a room?

Are you shapely with a larger busts and hips?

Do you have a womanly figure?

Do you have nice legs?

Are they thin and long?

Are they muscular and strong?

Do people comment on how pretty you are or often say that you have beautiful eyes?

Do you like to show off your feet with pretty sandals or open toed shoes?

Is your hair shiny and beautiful?

Do you like to touch it or play with it?

Instead of being overly critical and negative, be grateful for the body and health you do have.

So give yourself permission to see and accept the good!

Boosting Your Self-Image with the Perfect Clothing

Learning to love your body is important because having a good self-image empowers you in many ways.

When you love the way you look, you feel more confident and confidence gives you the ability to do anything you set your mind to.

Dressing for your body type also plays a big part in how you look and see yourself, so it’s important to know what color, style, shape and material of clothing looks best on you.

If your closet is full of worn out t-shirts and old faded blue jeans, it’s time for a wardrobe makeover.

Take a good, honest friend or family member shopping with you to help you choose clothes that fit well and colors that look best on you.

Updating your wardrobe doesn’t have to be expensive either.

Begin by shopping resale stores. Oftentimes you can find brand name, never worn clothes at prices greatly below retail.

However, don’t settle for less than the best for your body type.

If you can’t find the perfect items for your body, then don’t buy the clothes just because they’re cheap.

Build your wardrobe from the bottom up, starting with the basic necessities:

Black dress pants for work or an evening out

One dressy blouse for work or an evening out

One power suit for job interviews or business

A black skirt

Camisoles in a variety of colors for layering

A well fitting pair of blue jeans for casual days

2 to 3 casual tops (by casual I’m not talking t-shirts either)

2 pair of shoes: 1 for dress and 1 for casual

When you’ve got the basic necessities, then you can build your wardrobe up from there by adding dressy blouses or tops in different colors and styles, more skirts in various styles and colors and so on.

Once you start loving your body by recognizing what you do like about it and dressing to fit your body type, you’ll gain a whole new confidence like you’ve never felt before and other people will take notice too.

You may notice others reacting somewhat differently toward you as they respond to your new confidence.

Heck, you might even get a raise!

So start learning to love your body now. You’re beautiful!

How comfortable are you with yourself?

How can this help you become more confident about yourself?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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May 19, 2019March 16, 2018

Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong. – Peter T. McIntyre

March 30, 2019March 12, 2018

Top Five Ways to Be Assertive and Confident

Self-help books fly off the shelves of bookstores.

They’re the most common books on request at libraries.

From business people to housewives, people are looking for ways to improve their lives, and the most sought after self-help books are those on how to be assertive and confident.

During job interviews, potential employers look for essential qualities in prospective employees.

Assertiveness and confidence are high on the list.

People we admire in the business world are often seen as confident and assertive.

To achieve goals in life, these are two valuable character traits.

While some people seem to be born assertive and confident, the rest of us can learn these coveted characteristics.

Here are the top 5 ways to become assertive and confident:

1. Overcome shyness. Shyness can range from healthy to overwhelming and debilitating.

Shyness is not the same as having low self-esteem.

Many shy people have a very positive image of themselves, but they lack assertiveness and confidence.

If you’re shy, you can practice these techniques to overcome your shyness:

2. Visualization. Positively visualize situations and circumstances before experiencing them.

This will give you a better “what if” scenario, and help you be better prepared for any variation.

3. Practice speaking. People who are shy often dislike the sound of their own voices.

Practicing speeches in front of a mirror or with trusted friends will help you gain the confidence you need.

4. Reinforce the positive. This is a way of thinking yourself out of being shy.

By using affirmations to assert your positive characteristics, you can convince yourself that you are brilliant and worthy of great things.

After all, sometimes the hardest person to convince is you!

5. Learn the difference between being aggressive and assertive.

People respond better to an assertive person rather than an aggressive person.

Aggressive people are seen as bullies who approach a problem with harsh criticism.

They would say someone is doing a project “all wrong,” for example.

An assertive person, on the other hand, approaches the same situation with concerns and ideas to improve the project.

Your goal should be to approach people with positive attitudes and solutions to problems.

If you respect others and treat them as you want to be treated, you’ll have the same courtesy returned to you.

Become informed. One of the best methods of being assertive and confident is to know your subject matter.

No matter what the situation is, the more you know, the more confident you’ll be.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a job interview or a presentation to your peers, knowing what you’re speaking about will give you that aura of confidence you desire.

Be prepared for potential questions on your subject matter.

A good idea is to have a trusted coworker help you identify common questions and answers.

You will gain confidence in front of others when you first brainstorm and practice with someone you are comfortable with.

Speak up. Speak with confidence even if you don’t feel confident.

Practice speaking this way. The more you practice the more it will become second nature.

Model your behavior after people you admire.

Chances are the people you admire have the assertiveness and confidence you’re looking for in your own life.

Observe how they do things.
Pay attention to what they say and how they say it.
Watch their body language.

Studying people who have the traits you crave is one of the best ways to create those very same traits in yourself.

Learning to be confident and assertive can enable you to achieve your goals with ease, whatever they may be.

Practicing these and other methods will put you on the right track to success.

First and foremost, you must believe in yourself and your abilities.

Keep in mind that some of our greatest leaders didn’t start out assertive and confident.

George Washington was too shy to talk to people growing up. He changed his ways, and so can you!

How can confidence help you achieve more in life?

In what situations do you need to show your confidence?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 23, 2018February 16, 2018

Tips to Overcome the Fear of Speaking in Public

Somehow, you’ve suddenly found yourself responsible for giving a speech!

Don’t fret; you can learn how to overcome the fear of public speaking.

While some people seem to have a natural propensity for public speaking, no one is exempt from nervousness.

What can you do?

There are specific action steps you can take to help alleviate your nerves, even if you’ve never stood in front of a group of people before.

Here are some things you can do to help you get through your presentation:

1. Be prepared. The best thing to do to help you overcome your fear of speaking is to be prepared!

Once you know your material and have your speech ready, you’re ready to prepare for the final part – speaking.

Having a well-practiced speech will give you confidence.

You’re the expert on this material, after all, or you wouldn’t be speaking in the first place.

2. Practice making your presentation so you can get into a rhythm and know how the presentation will flow.

Say your speech aloud to practice difficult words or names and to time yourself.

If you have other presenters, practice as a group and be open to feedback from others.

Practice using any slides or power point presentations you’ve included in your speech.

3. Strengthen your presentation. There are simple things you can do to make your speech go from ordinary to extraordinary.

4. Making eye contact, pausing at certain points, and having visual aids are things that will bring your speech up a notch.

Learning these things ahead of time and including them in your practice sessions will alleviate some nerves.

Find one or two things to focus on the first time you speak.

Very few people make the perfect speech every time so the key is to learn from each presentation to make future speeches even better.

5. Be proud of doing your best. Keep in mind that everyone who speaks gets nervous ahead of time, some more so than others.

Once you consider you aren’t alone in your feelings, it makes it easier to deal with them.

6. Refrain from comparing yourself to others. There will always be someone better and someone worse than you. Just do your personal best and be happy that you’ve given it your all.

Find a mentor, or someone who is more experienced in public speaking, to ask advice. Learn from their mistakes.

7. Practice speaking in public. If you’re going to be speaking frequently, you can find ways to get more practice.

8. Take a class on public speaking, or volunteer at a community organization. The more you practice, the better you’ll get.

If you care about animals, kids, or social issues, there are many venues for you to speak, go find a local club or school and volunteer your time.

9. Start off small. Practice speaking in a classroom full of children first.

Read aloud during religious services at your place of worship.

If you have a favorite hobby, volunteer to teach a class about that hobby at your local library.

Don’t worry about how perfect your speech is. In six months, it won’t matter.

What will matter is that you’ve done your best, improved, and possibly inspired one person with your words.

That’s what it’s all about, anyway.

How confident are you with speaking in front of a crowd?

How do you feel before the speaking engagement?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

August 24, 2018January 31, 2018

Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.

August 14, 2018January 15, 2018

Tag: confidence

You have to have confidence in your ability. And then be tough enough to follow through. – Rosalynn Carter

Build Confidence With Daily Affirmations

You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through. – Rosalynn Carter

I keep myself moving forward.

Loving Your Feminine Body

Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong. – Peter T. McIntyre

Top Five Ways to Be Assertive and Confident

Tips to Overcome the Fear of Speaking in Public

Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.

You can determine how confident people are by listening to what they don’t say about themselves. – Brian G. Jett

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