The Tribune

By Michelle M Miller     

THE key to living the life that you love is developing habits that build your capacity to manage yourself in a changing world. 

Cultivating confidence is an uplifting habit that takes your life to a whole new level. The question is, who is responsible for what you cultivate, confidence or confusion? 

The answer is you. You can cultivate whatever you choose; and you are, whether you recognise it or not.

You and you alone are responsible for where you take your life. As James Allen advised, ‘Your life is today where your thoughts have brought it and will be tomorrow wherever your thoughts take it.’

Your life’s output reflects your input. 

Put first things first by deciding, in advance, what you will cultivate. Farmers know this process all too well. They are proactive stewards of the land and choose in advance what they will plant and where those plants will be placed. There is organisation and order in their fields. There are no weeds of confusion or no crops tossed randomly. 

Farmers operate on guiding principles of confidence and cultivation, which enables them to take deliberate action. Isn’t your life deserving of this same consideration? 

Consider this point, your mind will not return unto you a void, or better said, your mind always yields a return on your investment. However you choose to invest your attention becomes cultivated in your mind and produced into your life.

Take a heartfelt look at your life. Are you pleased with what you are cultivating? Look at critical areas of your health, money, work, business, family and spiritual life. Do they reflect a life of confidence?   

Life is dynamic, not static. Everything moves. Everything changes and every thought is productive. We are thinking beings and our mind, by its nature, is always producing, whether we are conscious of it or not. The quality of what we produce depends on the quality thoughts (ingredients) harboured in our mind. 

Cultivating confidence cannot materialise if you give safe harbour to disorder and chaos. 

Confusion is the result of chaotic thinking; whereas confidence the result of clarity thinking, which leads to effective action.

Since information is still the most potent means of influencing the mind, you must pay attention to the quality of information you entertain. 

Constantly exposing your mind to aggressive music, angry dialogues, gruesome images and harsh language of criticism, will not cultivate confidence. 

It may cultivate chaos and or depression but not confidence. 

Confidence is a different ‘kettle of fish’ based on enriching information, such as inspiring music, nourishing language, hope, possibility thinking, optimism, clarity etc.

As it is said, you reap only what you sow. The farmer will not plant corn and expect to harvest oranges. 

Gaining clarity about what you really want will give you the courage to seek out confident-boosting information that supports your intention.

Leader to leader, ‘choose ye this day’ what you will cultivate. 

You cannot fly like an eagle if you’re hanging out with turkeys. Confident people don’t hang around confusion. Make up your mind to follow the farmers’ way and choose in advance what kind of crop you seek to cultivate.

Cultivating confidence is an essential step on the ladder to living the life you love. 

What do you think? Please send your comments to coaching242@yahoo.com or 429-6770.

• Michelle M Miller is a certified life coach and leadership expert. Visit www.michellemmiller.com or send snail mail to PO Box CB-13060.