June 13, 2022

Manager of the Houston Astros Dusty Baker once said that his primary contribution to his team was confidence. "And confidence," he said, "is what takes you from good to great."

The dictionary defines it as "the belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way." It suggests boldness, assurance, trust, and a certainty about one’s ability. Dr Nate Zinsser of West Point says, "It is a sense of certainty about your ability which allows you to bypass conscience thought and execute unconsciously."

Confidence makes peak performance possible. You and your team will both perform their best in a state of certainty and confidence. 

You and I have both seen those people who have all the talent in the world, but don’t have the confidence to walk it out and realize their dreams. In fact, you might be one of those people!

Well, I have good news for you today! Confidence can be learned! We gain confidence through a consistently constructed thought process. 

Remember what King Solomon said in Proverbs 23:7, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." 

Look at what Marcus Aurelius said about our thoughts, "The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts." 

TO GAIN CONFIDENCE WE NEED TO THINK THE THOUGHTS THAT WILL BUILD OUR CONFIDENCE.

Don’t end your day rehearsing your failures, mess ups, or disappointments. Intentionally and consistently think about your wins, victories, and watch confidence come!

Here's a tool for you from Dr. Zinsser: End your day with a little E.S.P. - Take some time focusing and writing down the following things in a journal:

• E — EFFORT - that one time today you went the extra mile or gave extra effort.
• S — SUCCESS - no matter how small it was, if you had a win today. WRITE IT DOWN! 
• P — PROGRESS - if you made progress in a relationship, in reading a book, in staying on your diet - PUT IT IN THERE! 

As you take immediate action here, and begin to focus on the things you are doing right each day, you will see results! 

Question for Growth:
Confidence is a psychological bank account. Deposit into that amount by remembering past successes, thinking about opportunities, and dreaming about a great future. You withdraw by doing the opposite - recalling mistakes, failures etc. If you did an audit of your "confidence bank account" at the end of today, would you have a positive or a negative balance? 

Recommended Book:
The Confident Mind — Dr Nate Zinsser