CONFIDENCE

I had an interesting conversation with my friend the other night who made the statement, "I don't have your confidence."

My comment to her, "Confidence is not letting people's negativity get to you. Believe me, I have had my share of negativity and it used to hurt my feelings. Then I learned that constructive criticism can be good but you don't always have to agree. The most important thing is that you remain true to yourself."

She smiled and said, "I had some people read a story I wrote and told me to change some things. I didn't change anything and won first place in a contest with my story."

I laughed. "There will always be negative people. It's part of the equation. Sometimes they might even be mean about it. I call them the poopoo people."

This conversation spurred another conversation with my son who looked up the word "confidence" in the dictionary. "Look Mom, all three times it says that confidence is "a feeling."

Merriam Webster - Confidence

1. a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something

2. a feeling or belief that someone or something is good or has the ability to succeed at something

3. a feeling of being certain that something will happen or that something is true

Babies are born with confidence because they are aware of their alignment with God. Then about the time children go to school they hear the words "you can't" enough times that many times they begin to believe it. It is the brave soul who survives enough challenges to get it back. Age is good for that because it changes hope to belief to knowing.

I asked my friends on facebook to share what they think confidence is and got some awesome responses. Here are some of my favorite.

Lerin Ramsey – Confidence is having the courage to believe and knowing that the next step you take is in alignment with the Higher a Greater Good

Jordan Buckingham - being in alignment with the vibration of empowerment

Christopher J Lynch - Having no fear of failure.

BG Taylor - It's pronoia, the opposite of paranoia, where a person believes that everything in the omniVerse is on their side and the odds really are always in their favor; I have it bad.

Tara Wilbanks - Feeling comfortable any place, anytime, anywhere with anyone to do anything.

Yvette Schittone - Let go, and let God

Jeff Greenwood - Having the knowing and realization that no one or no-thing is against me and every-thing is for me and directs me to my highest good

Steve Mathos - When a person feels a way, and that way is a mood within the characteristics of human nature, and that feeling resembles a feeling of being capable & able to do what we are expected to accomplish. Success is based on achievement and successful people are said to feel confident. A feeling of being capable and feeling from what has been accomplished promotes a positive ego.

Jerry Richardson - I think confidence is have a knowing of self-worth and value, That only comes from God.

Mike Denman - Having the ability to stand on my own two feet with my head held upright.

Cameron Henderson – a reasonable approximation to completion or perfection via correct.

preparation, execution, and conclusion in both interior and exterior development. That is, confidence is a result of these qualities.

Fabienne Thrash - That feeling, that internal KNOWING that you’ve GOT THIS… and to move forward.

Phyllis Odom - self-assurance

Terrie Murphy - Just being comfortable and content in your own skin with where you are at this particular point in time.

Tom Scanlan – I see confidence as a combination of competence, knowing your limitations and having the courage despite your fears.

Susan Freiler Mendenhall - I think confidence is at its highest when you feel put together mentally, know you are capable because of adequate preparation, and have the support of others whether you succeed or fail.

Debbie Wurth-Newman DeVinna - Confidence for me means that no matter the outcome of something I chose to do, at least I gave it a try and the confidence to try it again, should it fail the first time.

Unka Joe – Trust

Pamela Medley - Knowing that whatever I do, I will come out the other side. If I make a mistake, it just means I've learned another lesson.

Angela Holcomb – Blind faith in myself and God.

Me – Doing something with no attachment to the outcome