Blog your way to confidence

I wish I had such confidence, someone wrote over the forum.

In any endeavor, the enemy is lack of confidence.

I used to be a blushing back-seat observer before. The situation is something really not likeable. When you are in this situation, you would wonder why some people could be so outspoken and could express their ideas so well. And oooh, how you wish you could be like them.

Well, there’s no secret there. As in other skills, being able to do things must develop to something, given some efforts and there are many avenues toward getting there.

The multi-cultural background of my family made it necessary for me to travel alone north and south of the country in my teenage years. Being a stranger in the expanse of other people’s world and being able to tackle other cultures had given me some dare to take in other challenges. Actually, when you’re done with one challenge, the next thing is easier.

Traveling alone in a very big ship at the age of 16 for the first time, I simply covered myself with my blankets and never spoke with anyone until the ship blew its horn after three days to announce it had finally arrived. I only walked around to take my meals or use the bathroom. I was that shy. Then I discovered one gets nothing out of being like that.

Exposure to other cultures even just in the country had widened my world and had given me the means to see for myself where I am and what I am capable of being. One tends to get a compass for oneself in situations like this. So being able to handle safely social relationships with “aliens” is one of those one has to learn.

Next is the ability to be able to express oneself. Ironic that with me, I had aimed to master the international language but not the many, many dialects in the country. With me, if you can handle just one language that is applicable to most situations anywhere in the world, then that would suffice. The language of the Cyberworld is English. If you know enough of that, you can get by.

Another way to build confidence is trying other careers. I used to admire people in uniform, so I became one myself. After that, it was like, “So that’s all there is to it?”

One tends to get some handles one can use after experiencing many things – instead of just guessing or imagining situations. One can understand people better too.

Another way is to make use of one's talents. Really, it’s not commonplace to be able to write; it’s not ordinary. So if one was discovered as having that talent, and somebody expressed such belief, it is best to believe it and then actualize it. There is nothing to lose but everything to gain. It is only that one has to support it by applying it anytime it is possible. Developing related skills like reading and speaking can also enhance it.

Making or writing a journal helps. It is good to write one's thoughts everyday as in blogging. Just posting one's reactions or comments to events happening in one's blog and expressing oneself in forums is already developing one's mind at the same time one's skills.