The ability to harvest confidence within oneself, as is the case with any ability worth working for, is not an easy and short-term endeavor. While displaying confidence to others through clothing, posture, and gait can be accomplished relatively easily, the same is not true for internally inspired confidence. To put it bluntly, there are certainly individuals who aren’t deserved of confidence. The reason that this is a harsh reality is due to the fact that some individuals, while being concerned with their confidence, are not willing to put in the difficult work that will compose a confident mentality. This is not to say that all people shouldn’t be treated with respect and with an understanding that we are all intrinsically equal. It is, however, to say that internal confidence is earned. How then do we begin to set a course for fostering more confidence?
Our level of confidence is directly related to the universal human desire for mastery. Mastery can be defined as the time spent in acquiring a new skill, new idea, or new endeavor, and the progression one experiences while learning to master the given skill. If we think of virtually any human endeavor, it can be assumed that the human tendency for mastery was a component of the driving force behind the endeavor. To use an obvious example, Einstein, while clearly being of genius intellect, did not rest on the fact that he was smart. Einstein notably locked himself in seclusion for days on end, and over the course of several years, in order to fully compose his masterpiece that is the theory of relativity. Now Einstein could’ve easily taken the easy route and depended on his intellect to solve problems that required less commitment, patience, and hard work. It is reasonable to assume that Einstein took a more difficult path in order to delay immediate gratification in order to secure a more important discovery down the line. This anecdote illustrates what really builds confidence in the individual. To be confident internally, we need to be able to believe that we are competent. If we lack competence, then any resulting confidence is merely a charade. Outside the realm of mastery, however, we can build inner confidence by always doing our best, being honest in our words and actions, and by not allowing our moral and ethical systems to be compromised. It is a combination of these personal qualities, and the willingness to work hard to improve and progress daily that will ultimately create the perfect scenario to foster the expansion of our confidence.
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