Confidence and the Courage to Take Action

by Jonathan on March 16, 2010

Self-Confidence

There is an important relationship between confidence and courage? Have you ever felt that a lack of confidence was holding you back from living up to your true potential? When you think of reaching out for your greatest goals and dreams, do you fear that you won’t have what it takes? Courage is one way to overcome feelings of low confidence, but what kind of courage are we talking about? We’ll get to that in a moment.

First, I just want to say that if you find yourself struggling with confidence, don’t be too quick to assume that your feelings are based on any kind of personal inadequacy. There are many reasons why confidence is such an issue in people’s lives, and a lot of them have to do with conditioning. In many ways our society teaches us to doubt ourselves. It’s all part of the conditioning process that is designed to make us dependent rather than independent.

Don’t be afraid of your own greatness

I personally know quite a few people who have had the courage to push forward toward their dreams even when they didn’t feel especially confident. You know what happened? Not only did they make amazing progress, but they were also able to build their confidence along the way.

There is something we can learn from this. Taking action is one of the most effective ways to conquer self-doubt. There is power in doing. Taking action is how we prove to ourselves that our lack of confidence was based on perception, not reality. Your personal greatness lies beyond the wall of low self-confidence. Do you have the courage to start climbing that wall?  [continue reading]

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Aging, Can You Control It?

March 13, 2010
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When you think of aging, what comes to your mind? Does the term midlife worry you? Do you think about the loss of abilities, agility, and usefulness? Do you picture a body ravaged by time and a mind that is so forgetful I can barely function? That doesn’t paint a very pretty picture does it? And yet, that’s exactly the concept many people have about the aging process.
Why do they have such a pessimistic view of getting older? Well, sad to say there are a lot of living examples that fit that description. So naturally, that tends to be the [...]

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Fear Lessons from a Bear, Rattlesnake, & New Yorker

March 8, 2010
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Fear is something we have all experienced at one time or another. Some people are so wrapped up in fear that they live in a constant state of paranoia. Others seem to experience very little fearful influence in their lives. What influences which side of the fear fence we are on?
I’ve always been fascinated by the subject of fear. On occasion, I’ve also been surprised by my own reaction to it. I’ve come to appreciate that there are different kinds of fear that serve different purposes and come from different sources. Some are healthy and some are not.
Should you fear [...]

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Seeking Wisdom from Outside the Box

March 4, 2010
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By the time I turned 22 I was living a lifestyle that seemed completely unrealistic to everyone I knew. I had abandoned my suburban roots and struck out on my own. I was now living deep in the forest of southern Oregon. I had stripped my life down to the absolute minimum so I could start over from scratch. I was now living without electricity or a telephone, and my only source of running water was the mountain creek that flowed past my tent.
This was the beginning of a self-discovery quest that would forever change my perception of life. I [...]

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From Imagination to Realization – Bridging the Gap

March 2, 2010
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Your Imagination is one of your greatest personal assets. It is a window into the world of possibility, and a powerful force toward the realization of a happier, more fulfilling life. When used purposefully, your imagination becomes the trigger of your creative abilities.
Without imagination we would never venture outside the box. Our reality would only exist within the confines of the status quo. What we tend to label as “fantasizing” is really a vital first step toward the realization of your dreams. Fantasy is a primary way that your imagination projects itself into the future and opens your mind to [...]

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The Art of Making Wise Decisions

February 26, 2010
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When you are making decisions, what do you base them on? Have you ever found yourself searching for information and never finding the answers you really need? How do the questions you ask affect the decisions you make?
Sometimes it seems like the moment you go looking for meaningful answers to important questions so you can make a wise decision, things get confusing. Either there’s not enough information available, or there are so many opinions that you don’t know who to believe.

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Unchain Yourself from Conventional Thinking Myths

February 23, 2010
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What if I said that conventional thinking is at best only a beginning, and often just leads to a dead end?
Not only that, but what if I also said that it has a way of limiting our beliefs and closing our minds to the possibility of living an extraordinary life of true happiness.
Why would I say such a thing?
Because conventional thinking is based on widely accepted assumptions which may, or may not, be true. Either way, these assumptions are designed to channel you into the vast sea of normality. In fact, conventional thinking is custom tailored to make you normal.
What’s [...]

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The Value of Networking With Others

February 20, 2010
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Networking with others is a great way to take full advantage of all the knowledge and resources available to you? It’s a way of allowing yourself to learn from others while they learn from you. Are you familiar with the concept of networking?
The reason I bring this up is because I’ve been reflecting on how much I learn from those around me, and how much I value their contribution to my life. I wanted to take this opportunity to give credit where credit is due, and to say thank you to those in my network of bloggers.
The concept of an [...]

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How Enthusiasm Was Secretly Sabotaging My Results

February 18, 2010
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When the topic of self-sabotage comes up, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? The first thing I think of is internal disharmony and limiting beliefs. Makes sense, right.
Does that mean that people who don’t suffer from internal disharmony or limiting beliefs don’t have self-sabotaging issues? As it turns out, there are other ways we can sabotage our own results that have nothing to do with beliefs. How do I know?
This is somewhat embarrassing
Ever had one of those painful “Ah Ha” moments? You know the kind where you suddenly realize something about yourself that makes you feel like [...]

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7 Minutes on the Garden Isle of Kauai

February 16, 2010

It’s already been two weeks since we returned from the Hawaiian island of Kauai, also known as the Garden Isle. I know it’s been a rough winter for many of you, and I thought you might enjoy a few minutes in paradise.
These are some random highlights from our recent vacation. I move through them pretty quickly because I wanted to share the vast diversity that Kauai has to offer.

We had all kinds of weather while we were there, but the air and water temperature remained between 75 and 80 degrees for the most part. As you probably noticed, there are [...]

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