Understanding courage and how to build self confidence

The nature of courage

Courage: an alluring yet terrifying word at the same time. Many things in our lives await the courage to make the right decision. The longer we wait to make that decision, the more we suffer from the pain of having to endure our current situation or at least live with the probability that things could have been better
Beware though! I’m talking about the calculated risks in life, where you desire to achieve something permissible first in the eyes of God and that you thought about enough but you still experience fear even though you intellectually think that you should take the first step

Courage in moments not lifetimes

From a statistical point of view, you don’t need to be courageous all your life; you’ll only need courage during the first few seconds of making difficult decisions. This means that if you have to make three difficult decisions in a day, you’ll only need one minute of courage, which is just 0.07% of your time! Amazing, isn’t it? But you’re still not convinced, right? That means that the issue is mostly emotional and not intellectual

The pain of regret vs. The pain of discipline

Take into consideration that in life, one must choose between two types of pain: either the pain of discipline or the pain of failure. The pain of regret weighs way more than the discipline of regret. So why do we prefer to carry the heavier burden? It’s due primarily to the fear of the unknown

Building confidence through action

So how do we build that courage muscle? You'll find that it’s, in fact, quite simple. I always emphasize simplicity, but unfortunately, even with the availability of information and the internet, people may come across this knowledge but the real power lies with those who actually apply it
Let me tell you a little story about me. For a long time, I was someone who lacked confidence. I was the type of person who worked in a technical job, dealing with machines rather than people. I worked in isolation, behind a desk. In fact, my financial situation pushed me to open up and find ways to increase my income, which led me to take part in a business project that required me to interact with more people. So slowly, step by step, I started gaining confidence

Key principles for confidence

Here are some principles that helped me:

Self-Confidence is Situational: Self-confidence isn’t something people inherently have or don’t have. It’s situation-based. For example, when we do something new for the first time, it's natural to feel some hesitation or fear, which reflects a lack of confidence. If you have children, you’ll see that they don’t need to be taught how to walk or how to stand, their courage to learn these things is naturally within them. So it’s our environment that impacts our confidence over time

Lost Confidence Can Be Regained: Anything that can be lost can also be regained. Many people who lack confidence can rebuild it, as many others have transformed their lives and regained that lost confidence

Embrace Mistakes: Many people lose confidence because they can’t handle making mistakes. They are afraid of being seen as flawed or imperfect. This mindset often stems from our upbringing and environment. Accepting mistakes as part of the process and realizing that making mistakes doesn’t diminish your worth is essential. Even achieving 70% success in something might be perceived by others as 150%

Acting despite fear

Confidence grows from overcoming fear, not the other way around. Many people think they need to overcome fear first before acting. But in reality, you need to act despite your fear, and confidence will come later as a result of that action. Take the first step, even if you feel uncertain. Over time, confidence will grow from experience and persistence

I've experienced it myself: the first few seconds when I jumped out of a plane with a parachute, the first few seconds when I step onto a stage and begin speaking. It’s always the beginning that scares the most, so you must face your fears and push through them!

I hope this advice helps you, and I wish you the best in your journey. Feel free to reach out to me and share how this has impacted your life and don’t forget that everything in life happens with the permission of God no matter what you do. So do your part and don’t stop asking Him for His favors