Confidence is the feeling that you can trust someone or something to be good, work well, or produce good results. However, most of us are not confident of what we are doing. When there is no confidence on your part, the results of whatever you do will be negative. The importance of self-confidence has been overemphasized but few of us take it seriously. Positive thinking and confidence are important factors in human development. Imagine two people of equal skills and academic qualifications applying for a job. The employer invariably picks the person who has self-confidence. Employers know that a positive sense and a positive approach will lead to success in any business enterprise.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, the author of ‘Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End’ says, “Confidence is the expectation of a positive outcome.” She further says, confidence makes you willing to try harder and attract the kind of support from others that makes winning possible.
Confidence is necessary to maintain harmony in marriage. If one spouse has no confidence in the other, there will be eternal clashes. When there is no mutual confidence, suspicion breeds and the marriage will break down. The lack of mutual confidence leads to separation and divorce. Therefore, whatever problems you encounter in marriage, spouses should trust each other.
Foundation
Even in the competitive business world, confidence plays a major role. If the business partners have no confidence among them, the company will suffer. The foundation of any commercial enterprise is confidence. The company should also secure the confidence of its customers. When customers have no confidence in the company and its activities, they will keep away. Recently, a new business venture announced that they would give the customer a substantial discount when they open their supermarket in a well-known city south of Colombo. After the opening ceremony, customers waited in a long queue to buy their requirements at discounted prices. However, they found there was no substantial price reduction of goods. They felt that they have been taken for a ride. Will they ever go back to the same supermarket?
In personal and business relationships confidence has to be boosted every now and then. If an employer fails to give the due increments to his employees, it is a breach of confidence. Some business establishments hire and fire employees without any regard for their future. Such companies sooner or later will realize their folly.
Most readers would remember Eliza Doolittle who was transformed from a lowly vendor of flowers into a confident grande dame in ‘My Fair Lady.’ Recent research studies show that business establishments would succeed if they make their employees confident of their future. A happy workforce is a sine qua non in any business organization. However, even some leading companies do not make an attempt to win the confidence of their employees. This is mainly because there are plenty of unemployed youth in the country.
Performance
Even a hint of praise will give a turbo boost to a child’s performance in his studies. On the other hand, if you condemn his performance, he will never make an attempt to succeed in life. This applies even to medical practitioners. Once, a specialist treating a stroke patient asked him to buy a wheelchair. The patient who was made of sterner stuff refused to buy a wheelchair and eventually consulted another consultant. The former specialist lost one of his patients and the patient who refused to buy a wheelchair is now moving about quite happily.
Some parents have the bad practice of calling their children ‘fools’ when they fail in examinations. This eventually leads to loss of self-confidence in children. If they can be urged to hold on to a winning attitude, they will make a greater effort and also create a positive momentum. In the first place, parents should be confident enough to inspire their children. Such parents will become magnets for success. Confidence manifests itself in body language, demeanour and in one’s surroundings. Your body language and attitude to work will send positive signals. If your business is failing, you need to refurbish the workplace. Nobody will be happy to work in a dilapidated building without basic facilities. Sometimes, teachers are transferred to remote schools where there are no toilet facilities or water service. You cannot expect such teachers to deliver their best in such circumstances. The workplace and the surroundings should be up to high standards if workers are to perform their duties happily. Similarly, we do not dress well to please others, but to build confidence in ourselves.
Positive outlook
If you are going to deliver a lecture or attend a board meeting, make a deliberate attempt to do it with a positive outlook. If you are having trouble finding confidence in one area of your life, find another way to create it. You need to be your own adviser in these matters because in certain instances you will not have the time to find outside help.
In sum, avoid people who suck your energy and diminish your confidence. Always be with those who see you at your best. Give pessimists a wide berth so that they will not be able to drag you down. Remember that confident people are in control and they can take action that will make things happen.
In real life situations, if you believe in yourself too strongly, you will act rashly. On such occasions your confidence can actually make you appear stupid. So, handle it with care and use your confidence wisely. If you are planning to reach the zenith of success, cultivate self-confidence.