“If you have the courage to start, you have the courage to succeed.” Mel Robbins
I once heard a wise teacher say that a mountain is made up of tiny grains of dust. Change, in any capacity, is not made with one big move, but rather everyday, small actions.
Harnessing the Power Within: Why Confidence is Key to Success
Confidence is the fuel for taking small consistent actions that lead to new opportunities and success. Balancing a career, family, responsibilities can make it difficult to focus on building confidence. And anxiety, in turn, can lower our confidence, making it harder to embrace new opportunities and thrive within change.
Meditation is one tool that can enhance confidence and lessen anxiety. In this blog, we'll also explore insights from experts Amy Cuddy on body language, Carol Dweck on mindset, and Mel Robbins on consistent action. Their insights combined with meditation have the power to unlock your confidence and reach your potential.
“That’s how confidence grows—one small, courageous move at a time.” Mel Robbins
Are you ready to take action? Are you ready to grow? One small move at a time :)
Then let’s dive in and find out the connection between confidence and success, how meditation can promote a growth mindset, and the role of consistent action in achieving true confidence.
In this article, we will talk about:
Connection between confidence and success
Link between meditation and mindset
Importance of action in achieving results
The Power of Confidence
Confidence and Success: The Unbreakable Connection
“A truly confident person does not require arrogance.” Amy Cuddy
What does confidence mean to you?
Everyone has self-doubts. It’s what makes us reasonable human beings, open to others’ perspectives and a willingness to learn and grow. However, this self-doubt becomes detrimental when it stops us from even trying to do something new.
Building True Confidence: Trust, Presence, and Authenticity
Confidence comes from the latin word fidere which means “to trust.” It is to trust in oneself and one’s capabilities. Confidence propels us towards our goals, and fuels us to keep going. It helps us to succeed by motivating us to take the first step, equipping us to solve problems, instilling resilience to bounce back, and transforming a challenge into manageable tasks.
Confidence is about more than simply helping us to succeed. It influences how we view ourselves, treat ourselves, and navigate the world.
According to Harvard psychologist, Amy Cuddy, when we are confident in ourselves, others are more confident in us. Confidence is about presence, being aligned with and able to express our full potential. When we are present, we approach problems with a sense of calm. When we are present:
We believe our story: we have passion and conviction, and express ourselves with authenticity and genuineness, which means others trust us.
We are confident without being arrogant: a confident person is open to feedback, listen to others’ perspectives and includes those views to benefit everyone.
Our verbal and non-verbal cues are in sync: when we’re not authentic, our verbal and non-verbal cues don’t match up because we are trying to adjust ourselves to what we think the other person wants. But when we are authentic, our verbal and non-verbal cues match up, and the other person is more likely to trust us.
The Power of Posture: Boosting Confidence Through Body Language
Amy’s research shows that our non-verbal communication impacts, not only others, but ourselves, our thoughts, behaviors and physiology. When we feel powerful, we open up. When we feel powerless, we make ourselves smaller. When we smile, we feel happy. When we hold a pen between our teeth and force a smile, we also feel happy.
When we take on more power poses, we become more confident. This is the body-mind connection. Power poses are associated with lower cortisol and higher testosterone, which means we become assertive, confident and comfortable. And this ties back into presence.
Small changes lead to big results. Next time you're in a high stress evaluation situation, like a job interview, take a power pose for 2 minutes to boost your confidence and potentially change the outcome!
Building Confidence Through Meditation
Fostering a Growth Mindset for Lasting Success
Have you ever felt like your mindset was holding you back?
Embracing ‘Not Yet’: Cultivating a Growth Mindset
The power of the words “Not yet.” A high school teacher in South Bronx, New York, took a class of fourth grade students who were way behind, to the top of New York State on the state math test. “Not yet” instead of “failed” allowed students to see a path forward and enabled a growth mindset.
A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work.
Carol Dweck, a researcher and expert in the field of motivation, discovered the value of a growth mindset in research with children. Children with a growth mindset embrace the challenge and understand that abilities can be developed. Whereas children with a fixed mindset see a challenge as a judgment of them, proof that they are not capable. As a result, these children run from challenges.
Brain scans show that children with a growth mindset have a brain that lights up when faced with an error, that they are processing and learning from it, whereas children with a fixed mindset have no activity.
Students who pushed themselves outside their comfort zone and stayed the course, formed new connections in their brain and became smarter.
With a growth mindset, difficulty just means “not yet.”
So, how can we build a growth mindset? Meditation is an essential tool that not only changes our way of thinking but also transforms our brain.
How meditation can foster a growth mindset
Meditation has been shown to increase growth mindset. In one study with 450 participants, the group that practiced meditation significantly improved both self-esteem and growth mindset.
Meditation helps to nurture a growth mindset by:
Enhancing self-awareness | We can begin to see our patterns of thinking and behaving. The first step to change is acknowledging that there is something we want to change. |
Fewer negative thoughts | Meditation lessens the negative thoughts and doubts. When the negative thoughts are not there, we can see opportunity in challenges. |
Reducing anxiety and stress | Research shows that our brain actually changes when we meditate. Less anxiety and stress means we can embrace challenges and build confidence. |
Meditation is something everyone can practice. The power of self-reflection meditation is that it gets to the root cause of what blocks us from having a growth mindset and becoming confident.
When we understand that our mind is formed from our experiences and the experiences inherited from our parents, we empower ourselves to change. Our thoughts shape our behaviors, actions, habits and, ultimately, our destiny. Through meditation, we can change our programming, overcome the barriers that block us from having a growth mindset and become confident.
“Pushing yourself to take simple actions creates a chain reaction in your confidence and your productivity.” Mel Robbins
From Fixed to Growth: My Journey with Meditation
It all starts with one action, one step. I started meditating 10 years ago. It wasn’t always easy but I saw the benefits as I kept persisting. I had a fixed mindset and quit at the smallest sign of failure. Now, 10 years later, I embrace opportunities, and see failure as a chance to learn.
A mindset of “not yet” is the springboard to not only becoming confident but believing in our abilities and reaching our potential. Meditation, along with a growth mindset, gives us practical steps to change.
Practical Tips to Complement Meditation
It’s normal to face setbacks, but each challenge is an opportunity to grow. As we keep persisting, we build confidence, which builds competence which, in turn, builds confidence. This is known as the confidence-competence loop. Here’s how to take the first step:
Focus on what you want to change and why | Knowing what you want to change and why will keep you focused on your journey. |
Take action | It may feel awkward and you may not be motivated but start small. Five minutes is all it takes. |
Show up everyday | Consistency is key. Small consistent steps are what lead to change. |
Focus on the process | Use words like “not yet” when you face a setback and monitor your progress. We often forget or overlook the small changes. |
Meditation gives us the power to start the loop, to take action, become resilient in the face of setbacks and see opportunities in failure. This builds confidence, which leads to more action, and breaks the cycle of negative thinking. Growth takes daily consistent small action, like water breaks rock. All it takes is the willingness to take that first step.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Are you ready to begin yours?
The Power of Persistence
Daily Action as the Catalyst for Confidence
“Start before you’re ready. Don’t prepare, begin.” Mel Robbins
This quote really resonates with me. The times I changed the most, were the times I took action. When I was a fresh out of graduating athletic therapist, I remember thinking that I didn’t know enough yet to treat an injured athlete. That I wasn’t as good as the therapists who’d been in the field for 10 years. But I was the one, on the field, with the injured athlete. All they had was me. So I did my best with the tools I had. And that is how I learned. If we wait to know it all, if we wait until we have no doubts or insecurities, we’ll never get started!
Are you willing to try, even though you doubt yourself?
Confidence in Action: The Willingness to Try
According to Mel Robbins, leading expert on change and motivation, confidence is the willingness to try. At the heart of confidence is action. All we need to do is try and then we find out that it’s not as scary as we thought. When we try, we move through the doubts and insecurities and we learn something. And it makes it that much easier to try again.
Confidence isn’t thinking “I’m the best”. It isn’t about having no doubts. It’s the willingness to try. And it’s anchored in action. Confidence is the quiet belief that you can rely on yourself. And it comes from taking action, taking risks, and facing the doubts, insecurities and perfectionism.
What would more confidence help you to do?
Confidence Myths
As you consider this question, let’s look at some myths about confidence that may be holding you back. Common myths about confidence:
Myth 1 | Confidence means to be the loudest in the room | Confident people are often the quiet ones in the room. It’s not about a personality trait like extroverted or introverted. |
Myth 2 | Confidence is built when you are winning | You create confidence in the hard moments. It requires you to do things that are uncomfortable. |
Myth 3 | Confidence is something you can lose | You can be blocked from the feeling of it because you stopped trying. But it's not something you can lose. |
Do not turn the resistance you feel when life tests you on yourself. You don’t feel difficult because you lack something. You feel difficult because life is showing you you have something to learn and you are ready to grow.
Tools to build confidence
Mel Robbins,10 years ago, was $800,000 in debt, unemployed, and drinking to ease the heartbreak. This difficulty is what led to her becoming a world leader, a podcast host with over 2.8 million subscribers.
Wherever you are in life, these simple tools can help build your confidence.
Tools to build confidence:
5 second rule: interrupt self-doubt by counting backwards (5-4-3-2-1) and then take action. When you feel you want to say something at a team meeting but are scared of how you will be perceived, take a breath, count backwards from 5, and raise your hand.
Power of objectivity: be the person you want to become. Research shows this gives you distance from where you are now. “What would future me do?”
Prepare and practice: rehearse and run through what it is you are nervous about doing.
Why is it worth trying: everything you do is preparing you for something that hasn’t happened yet.
Building Confidence with Every Step
Some days will be hard. And you will fall down. But if you are willing to get back up, and try again, it will get easier and you will discover yourself along the way. Success is driven by daily action and effort, not self-belief. Confidence builds over time. You can’t think your way out of fear or doubt. Only through action, can you unlock your potential. The courage to take action builds confidence, day in and day out.
Are you ready to build yourself?
Remember, every step you take, no matter how small, is a victory against self-doubt.
Conclusion
Unlock Your Future: Embrace Confidence and Unleash Success
“I have not failed; I’ve just found 10,000 ways to make a lightbulb that won’t work.” Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison, the inventor of the electric lightbulb, which has been called the single greatest invention since fire, didn’t just stumble upon success. Edison experimented over and over again. He failed over and over again, until he succeeded. This process not only led to a revolutionary invention that increased safety, health, and communication worldwide but also demonstrated the power of persistence.
Confidence is ignited by action, by trying again and again. Through this process of trying and learning (confidence-competence loop), we break down the very thoughts, doubts and insecurities that hold us back. We develop a mindset of “not yet.” Meditation anchors this journey, helping us to clear our minds, focus on our goals, and persist despite challenges. As we walk this path, we discover more about ourselves, build belief in our abilities, grow, and ultimately reach our potential.
If you’re wondering how to start, we offer a monthly meditation class that will help you to recognize your barriers. This class will empower you to face challenges head-on, unlocking your confidence one small step at a time. The best time to start is now-let’s build our best life together!
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