September 10th, 2007
Self-Confidence Made Easy - Pt 2
Fake It Till You Make It
This month, I am exploring the concept of self-confidence. A key step to increasing your
own self-confidence is to know that most people have self-doubts. Most of us think we are the only one. But in reality, just about everyone has an inner-critic that can be quite loud sometimes.
Have you ever realized that someone you thought was supremely confident actually had self-doubts? I had this experience when I saw an interview with the award-winning actress Meryl Streep. She said that when she is about to embark on a new movie shoot, she often has strong feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. She said thoughts swirl around her head such as: “I’m not a good actress” and “What am I doing? I’ll never be able to pull this off.” I was shocked when I heard this. Meryl Streep is considered by many to be the greatest film actress alive today. She has played the leading role in some of the best movies ever made.
Streep shared her strategy for overcoming self-doubt, which essentially boils down to the adage: “Fake it till you make it.” In other words, feel the fear and do it anyway. She says she shows up at the film set and gives it her all. She does not let her self-doubt and inner critic paralyze her. She walks into the fear, which subsequently allows her to walk through the fear and do her best work.
The most effective way to project confidence is to act as if you are confident. Even if you’re not feeling confident, it is okay to act as if you’re brimming with confidence. Trust me, this is the strategy used by most people you encounter throughout a typical work day. The majority of people are insecure individuals acting as if they are secure. They are just stepping into their fear.
Stop fueling your inner critic with self-made poison. Start encouraging and energizing yourself with positive self-talk and boost your own self confidence. If it works for Meryl Streep, it can work for you, too!
Until next week…
Maret
