Show Me Your Muscles
Adults often ask kids to “show me your muscles!” Did anyone every ask this of you when you were very young? Or perhaps you yourself have asked a young child to show their muscles. Kids eagerly and without hesitation clench their fists and bend their arms to show just how strong they are. They don’t think twice – they’re certain of their strength and oh so confident.
I was having a conversation with someone recently about confidence. I mentioned that I wasn’t feeling really confident in a certain situation and they were surprised by that. They see me as someone who is way more confident than they are. This may be true in some situations, but confidence is really just another muscle. We all have it and the more we use and exercise it, the stronger it becomes.
Think of all the firsts you’ve had in your life.
How many times have you done something, big or small, and you had no idea what you were doing or how to do it. What you had was a willingness to try and see. And each time you did, you strengthened your confidence muscle. Even if things didn’t work out as you’d hoped, there was something to be learned and confidence gained from the very act of stepping into the unknown.
I was thinking about the first time I rode a bike, jumped rope, drove a car, used a washing machine, cooked a turkey for Thanksgiving, started a job, asked for a raise, organized an event, talked in front of a large group, coached a client, and on and on. Each of the thousands of firsts in my life, and yours, is the path of discovering who we are and building confidence and faith in ourselves. Each time we are willing to step into something new and unfamiliar is an exercise in building the confidence muscle.
We often compare ourselves to others whom we think have more confidence than we do.
Truth is, we lack nothing. Each of us has every bit as much confidence as the people we admire. The only difference is…their willingness to exercise it. To have faith. To take risks, to dive in, even when they don’t feel confident.
We can read about, watch, and study and learn from those we admire, but there’s no substitute for experience. Imagine going to the gym to watch someone workout? We might learn all sorts of techniques and tips but we’re not doing anything to get ourselves in shape.
What is it you want to do, be, or have in life? What’s stopping you? You already are the confident person you want to be…you just have to be willing to discover it. The quickest way to build confidence is to do what you’re afraid to do! What are you willing to discover about yourself? Show me your muscles!
From my heart to yours,
