The Tribune

By Michelle M Miller

CONFIDENCE is an enriching and empowering quality that only appreciates with time. While this is so, recognise that confidence is a personal quality that comes from within. 

As such, despite all of your financial or educational success, you cannot buy a cup of confidence at the coffee house or from a vendor on the street. You must develop it.

This perhaps, is the greatest challenge many face when it comes to cultivating confidence. They believe that confidence will somehow appear, maybe after a few promotions or after the achievement of other accolades. 

We know that the accumulating more stuff produces some wonderful emotions such as feelings of pride or even boastfulness. However, confidence has less to do with what you can buy, like a big house; it has more to do with what you can create, like a loving home.  Notice the difference. Confidence is a power of presence.

The question is – how are you cultivating your confidence? Are you willing to risk it all to gain it ‘all’?

When you focus on cultivating confidence, you step into your fearless power. You live a life that is a little less ordinary, holding the capacity to manage yourself effectively, in a changing world.  You are able to manage your thoughts, actions and behaviour.   

Confidence takes your living to a brand new level. Remember you can cultivate whatever you like and you are always in cultivation mode. For this reason, I suggest you decide what you really want for your life and then figure out what will help you most in achieving your desire.

You are responsible for your own life. 

As James Allen said, “Your life is today where your thoughts have brought it and will be tomorrow wherever your thoughts take it.”

Get in the habit of being intentional about what you want to experience in your life. What kind of person are you seeking to become? One who is confident or conflicted?

Farmers know the process of cultivation all too well. They are proactive stewards of the land and choose in advance. They know what they will plant, where those plants will be placed and how they will be cultivated. This organised, proactive approach to farming the land produces amazing confidence. It also eliminates weeds of conflict.

The land mass of your mind deserves the same consideration. As you consider today’s question, take a heartfelt look at your life. 

In which way are you cultivating confidence in the area 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. Building confidence is an essential step to your growth to greatness. Pay attention to quality of information you entertain.  Confidence is the output of your data input.  The farmer will not plant corn and expect to harvest oranges. 

Leader to leader, make today the day that you cultivate your confidence. Follow the farmers’ way and choose in advance to cultivate your confidence. This is a key 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, or by snail mail to PO Box CB-13060. You can also visit www.michellemmiller.com. Michelle M Miller is a certified life coach and leadership expert.