The cozy pillow of confidence

… does not exist.

As much as we’d like to hope for that magic confidence potion that makes our fears go away so that we can feel confident wherever we are and whomever we meet, it doesn’t exit. Because that’s not how confidence works.

That hope confuses confidence with comfort.

It’s a natural reaction to prefer relaxation over stress. Peace of mind over fear of failure. Cooperation over competition.

Yet, confidence doesn’t make stress go away and neither does it rule out failure or make negotiations less competitive. Confidence means believing in yourself despite the possibility of failure. It means showing up regardless. What would we need confidence for if it wasn’t for the difficult parts?

That’s why acting with confidence becomes so much easier when you know who you are and what you stand for. And when the work you do is on something that’s actually worth believing in and, therefore, worth standing firmly behind.

Confidence is, in a way, the will to make it happen regardless. Rather than make our fears go away, it helps us to overcome them.