Tag Archive for confidence

Finding Success Helps You Build Confidence

September 25, 2023 John Uncategorized No comments

banner for rsuccess

 

You’re expecting great success in whatever you’re doing. But, when it comes to confidence that’s something else again.

Today we look at a GenuLines yardstick to help you measure up.

Finding Success Helps You Build Confidence
We’ve all experienced a time in our lives when our self-esteem was on the skids. The common thread in these experiences is a lack of confidence.

Think about a job you didn’t like. I’m guessing it wasn’t about your lack of knowledge.

A more likely reason is that you didn’t have the confidence in your ability to do the given tasks.

handshake of success

A strong sense of self and self esteem is essential to overcoming adversity. Success in this area builds your self-confidence.

Success Strengthens Your Self-Love
When you reach a goal, you’re proud of your accomplishment. You know your story and you’ve experienced the challenges firsthand.

You’re better able to endure. And this strength fuels your confidence that you’ll do what you intended to do.

Success Makes You Self-Reliant
Let’s use the life versus lemons example. You take lemons and create, say, a profitable lemonade stand.

You understand that you have power and the capability to overcome most anything.

Success Means Taking Risks
Success forces you venture out of your comfort zone. You act on opportunities that you may have passed on before.

Walking into new ventures despite the fears and the unknown requires absolute confidence. You have no idea if you’ll sink or swim.

Yet, taking that first step into the ocean is a brave move.

Failure
Many people shy away from taking on new tasks because they’re afraid of failure. They believe they’re unable to overcome a challenge.

Get into the mindset that no challenge is too difficult to overcome. Over time, this mentality will lead to ultimate self-confidence and power.

The journey of finding success in itself requires confidence. Sure, it’s easy to take what’s given to you, but is that building your inner strength?

Successful people fight for what they have and go out and get what they want. Through your efforts, wins and accomplishments, you develop a heightened sense of awareness.

This will enable you to continue reaching ever higher levels of success.

John K. 9-25/2023
chiforyourself.com

stick man hears about successOverheard: “Success is the sum of small efforts – repeated day in and day out”

~ Robert Collier
 

disclaimer for success

What is Self-Reliance?

July 3, 2023 John Uncategorized No comments

You might see self-reliance as your natural state of being. But is it really?

Use this GenuLines check list to change your state if necessary.

What is Self-Reliance?

The idea of self-reliance is a broad one and one that covers many different concepts. Everyone has a different idea of what makes up self-reliance.

And there are many different types of self-reliance for different situations.

You can be self-reliant in that you don’t need the accolades of other people. You can be self-reliant in that you are able to do things on your own without becoming lonely or bored.

And you can be self-reliant in as much as you’re able to solve problems without help.
Self-reliance is none of these things and all these things.

And as such, none of us are self-reliant though most of us strive to be more-so in various areas of life.

sign says self-reliance

Read on and we’ll look at some of the different ways in which you can be self-reliant and some of the forms it takes.

Independence

Independence is being able to do things on your own. You don’t need the encouragement or the company of others.

This is a valuable trait. Your options aren’t limited by what other people are willing to do with you.

Many people struggle with independence. They think they need to be with friends or to spend all their time with a partner.

If you do this too much you can end up losing your own identity.

Resourcefulness

This is a form of self-reliance in as much as it helps you to cope in situations where the chips are down. This means being able to draw on a limited pool of options and still come up with a satisfactory solution.

Financial Independence

You don’t rely on an employer or anyone else for your income. Most of us are dependent to at least some degree.

But having savings and the ability to gain alternative income makes you much freer.

Self-Starting

Entrepreneurs are the perfect examples of self-starters. They motivate themselves to work without needing a boss.

You have the ability to forge your own path. You’re self-motivated and able to drive yourself to achieve what you want.

Capable

Being self-reliant means being able to fix your car engine or take out the trash. What’s more, it means not relying on someone else to do everything for you.

Thus you’re ready for almost any situation.

JohnK 7-3-2023
chiforyourself.com

stick man hears about self relianceOverheard: “Discontent is want of self-reliance: it is infirmity of will”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Article image Jon Tyson on Unsplash 

 

disclaimer for self-reliance

 

Why We Don’t Like to Take Chances

May 2, 2022 John Uncategorized No comments

You want to take more chances in your life, but you keep holding back. GenuLines reminds you that this is learned. 

And today we’ll help you re-write that lesson

Why We Don’t Like to Take Chances

We’re taught from a very early stage by our parents to be careful.
We’re told to lookman takes a chance both ways before crossing the street and not to eat what is unfamiliar.
 
Parents want their kids to live long healthy lives. So they teach them to be cautious about most everything.
 
It was the same for their parents and so on down the line.
 
What’s It All About?
It’s all about self-preservation and keeping the family going generation after generation. But there are other reasons that we don’t like to take chances.
 
Societies have rules that its citizens must follow. Failure to do this can lead to jail time.
 
Even if what we do is legal our need to follow rules can take over. This tends to add to our cautious state of being.
 
Crowd Control
We hesitate to take chances because these rules are such a part of our lives. We also tend to follow the crowd and there are studies to back this up.
 
This is a herd mentality.
 
Say you’re on a busy city street and you look up in the sky for a long period of time. You’ll find more and more people gathering around to see exactly what you’re looking at.
 
There may be nothing of importance up there. But folks want to know what the attraction is.
 
So It Is With Taking Chances
If no one else has done it before we’re not likely to take the plunge. As mentioned earlier, we want to see others experience something.
 
Then we’ll decide whether to go for it ourselves.
 
This is why we look to product reviews and forums before making purchases online. We want to know that others used products or services without problems.
 
Go Around The Block
These reasons that we don’t like to take chances are mental blocks. They put up a proverbial stop sign anytime we encounter something that doesn’t sit well with us.
 
This leads us to create excuses not to do something. The biggest problem is that these barriers took a lifetime to build up so breaking them down is never easy.
 
We first have to have the belief that we can break them down before we allow ourselves to do so.
 
JohnK 5-2-2022
 
stick man hears about taking chancesOverheard: “May you always have courage to take a chance”
                                       ~Irish Saying
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for taking chances
 

10 Ways Exercise Boosts Your Self Confidence

April 5, 2021 John Uncategorized No comments

Mentioning exercise can bring groans and frowns from the people around you. Not the kind of talk that will make you the life of the party.

Today GenuLines looks at how the effects of exercise might well make you the “toast of the party!”

10 Ways Exercise Boosts Your Self Confidence

Most anything, which can help boost our self-confidence, is good for us. One of the best ways to boost your self-confidence is through regular exercise.
 
This is not only good for self-assurance but also for better health. So how can exercise boost self-confidence?
 
(Click on the image below to listen to this post)
 
Man doing exercise
 
Here Are 10 Ways That Exercise Boosts Your Confidence:
 

1. Weight Control

Woman doing exerciseExercising along with healthy eating is the best way to control weight or lose weight. This is all about energy intake and energy burning.
 
Of course, if you burn more energy than you take in, then the more you’ll lose weight. Being overweight is a confidence destroyer.
 
So the better shape you’re in, the better you’ll feel.
 

 

 

2. Improves mood

A good workout is great for your mood. Before you think that this requires a trip to the gym, think again.
 
A good workout could be a brisk walk or a jog. In fact, anything that makes your body work harder can be a workout.
 
What this does is stimulate brain chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. These promote a general feeling of well-being.
 
The results are less stress and anxiety.
 

3. It’s good for the heart

Regular exercising lowers the risk of various heart-related conditions. Exercise lowers blood pressure and reduces problems associated with diabetes.
 
It can even help in fighting heart disease. This is quite logical.
 
If exercising reduces weight it means that the heart has to work less. The heart is much healthier.
 
There’s also less pressure on joints and other areas of the body.
 

4. Keeps the body in shape

This is a bit different from weight control. Being is shape involves having a well-toned body and better posture. These are aspects connected with self-confidence.
 
When you feel good about yourself, it’s easier to make friends and more connections in life. You feel more confident.
 

5. More energy

If we don’t have the energy to do things, then everything becomes a chore. That can lead to feeling bad about oneself.
 
Regular exercise helps the whole bodywork better. The result is that chores become responsibilities.
 
And the more responsibility we’re coping with, the better we feel.
 

6. Better sleep

Regular exercise promotes good sleep. It’s proven that sleep is necessary for general feelings of well-being.
 
Sleep so affects our looks. Imagine preparing for an important meeting as you look in the mirror.
 
You see dark circles under bloodshot eyes. How confident will you feel?
 
So exercise will improve sleep. One word of warning – don’t exercise too near bedtime.
 

7. Improves productivity

Regular exercise helps clear the mind. Exercise gives you a chance to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.
 
As you push yourself with exercise you can realize new potentials. This in turn boosts self-confidence.
 
Very often, what you thought was a major problem before exercising disappears after.
 

8. Gives you something to look forward to

Once you have a reasonable schedule for exercising, you’ll start to look forward to it. This in itself is a confidence booster.
 
Once you start seeing the benefits of exercising, you’ll have the desire to continue. In the end, you feel better and look better.
 

9. Improves concentration

Exercise helps us to develop the necessary skills to concentrate on the task in hand. We’re better at handling tasks.
 
We start to see more praise and benefits.
 

10. Feelings of control and achievement

Working out takes effort, dedication, commitment, and care for oneself. All this can bring about enormous feelings of confidence.
 
Don’t Wait! Get Started Today!
 
Try incorporating regular exercising into your routine. You’ll experience the many benefits to your self-confidence that regular exercising gives.
 
JohnK 4-5-2021
 
Stick figure hears about exerciseOverheard: “Exercise should be regarded as a tribute in the heart”
                                 ~Gene Tunney
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
exercise disclaimer
 
 
 

Trust and Confidence: A Powerful Combination

January 3, 2019 John Uncategorized No comments
drawing for self confidence


If you’re having a hard time trusting yourself, it may be a sign that you lack confidence. Trust in this case is near impossible without confidence.


Lacking Confidence
Feel secure in your abilities and be strong in your convictions. But, know when you’re wrong, too.


This may seem scary to you.


But it’s not as difficult as you think. No one is born with confidence. It’s something people learn and develop during their lives.

It’s the same for you. Take steps to develop your confidence and trusting yourself will become easy.


Fear Sabotages Confidence
When you give in to your fears, you’ll diminish the chances of building up your confidence. This can get out of hand if you don’t deal with it right away.


You need to face your fears head-on. That doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind and be reckless.


You can take chances but only if they won’t put your life or others’ lives in danger. You wouldn’t jump out of a plane without a parachute.


Don’t make frivolous decisions, either. Confidence is about knowing the difference.


Start out with small tasks that you have been afraid to try in the past. Most outcomes will turn out better than you imagine.


If you try to project what will happen, and it is always a negative outcome, you will never make any decisions. Take on those small tasks without thinking too much about what’s going to happen.


That will build up your confidence as you’ve never seen before.


Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions
You should ask questions when you aren’t sure about the situations you face. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers.

It’s about knowing where to find them and who to rely on with the knowledge that you need. It’s also about pulling the trigger when you’ve gathered enough information.

Confidence is about taking responsibility for your decisions and your actions. If you believe in what you’re doing, you can convey that belief to the people affected by your decisions.

If you start blaming others when your situation doesn’t go as planned you’ll come across as weak.


Once this happens, others will lose faith in you. Your confidence will erode, and self-doubt will take over.


When you make your decisions, you own them, even if they don’t work out.
Increase your confidence and you’ll increase self-trust.

Then, you can soar higher than you ever imagined.

JohnK 1-3-2019

chiforyourself.com home


disclaimer for confidence article

Breaking Up With Busy: This Week on CHI FOR YOURSELF

May 9, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

 

Being busy has become a status symbol in society. Overworking and under-sleeping are two of the byproducts of this. But what does all the busyness accomplish?

Yvonne Tally on busynessOur scheduled guest on this week’s CHI FOR YOURSELF has written a book that shows you how to reclaim your time and get off the busyness hamster wheel.

Yvonne Tally is the author of Breaking Up with Busy: Real-Life Solutions for Overscheduled Women.

 

 

Be with us for the interview with Yvonne Tally on Thursday, May 10th, at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com

 

 

JohnK 5-9-2018

chiforyourself.com home

Boost Your Confidence by Making Better Decisions

April 2, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
You’re starting another week. Another week of decisions you’ll need to make. But somehow those decisions don’t get made.
 
It’s one of the more frustrating situations you (and those around you) can face. You can’t seem to make a decision and stick to it.
signpost toward decision
There can be many reasons why you lack the confidence to make decisions in your life.
 
As a child your parents may have made all your decisions for you. And you weren’t supposed to question them..
 
Or it could be that you don’t like the pressure decision making puts on you. You question whether you’re making the right decision. And you’re fearful about how your decision will affect others.
 
You may feel very anxious at the thought of having to make a decision.
 
Here are a few ways to recognize if you’re someone who lacks the confidence to make  decisions:
 
You would rather have someone else make the decision for you –
 
Passing the decision-making process to another could show a lack of confidence.
 
You never make a decision –
 
Other people may be relying on you for a decision, but you let weeks or months slide by without deciding.
 
When you do make a decision, you second-guess yourself –
 
This is another demonstration of lack of confidence in your abilities.
 
Regardless of what led to an inability to trust yourself you can become better if you work at it.
 
Here are some ideas for improving your confidence and making good decisions.
 
Make an “unofficial” decision –
 
This is a decision that’s not yet set in stone. Make a decision, and live with that decision for a day.
 
For example, you’ve decided to upgrade to a bigger house, and you have the money saved up. You find a house that you really like that fits all the criteria you want in a bigger house.
 
It has a big yard, a deck, and an attached garage. But, you have trouble making decisions.
 
You may find that you try to talk yourself out of it. You begin to worry how you’ll afford it, the increased heating and cooling costs, and so forth.
 
This is where it can help to make an “unofficial” decision. You have to decide that you will or will not move.
 
Pick one, and live with that decision for a day. Convince yourself that the decision is a real one.
 
Then see how your decision makes you feel. This can be a good way to test decisions before making them official.
 
Knowing that you can still change your mind, if it doesn’t feel right, can be comforting.
 
Recognize decisions that are reversible –
 
For example, you’re having a tough time choosing a color of house paint. Start by picking some swatches. Then make a decision rather than fretting over the perfect color.
 
If you start painting and don’t like the color you can just reverse course and choose another color.
 
Ask yourself: what is the worst that can happen? –
 
Not all decisions are life altering. If you begin by making small decisions (like choosing which movie to go to) your confidence can grow as time goes on. You’ll be better positioned to make bigger decisions as time passes.
 
Write down the pros and cons of each decision you are considering –
 
It might help if you put your ideas on paper. List what you like and don’t like about them.
 
Seeing rather than only thinking about the options can make it easier to come to a decision.
 
JohnK 4-2-2018
chiforyourself.com home page
 
 
 
 
 
man making decisionOverheard:  “To change a habit, make a conscious decision, then act out the new behavior.”

                       ~Maxwell Maltz
 
 
 
 
 
Subscribe to GenuLines- get CHI FOR YOURSELF guest information and more!
 
 
 

3 Steps to Creating New Habits

January 17, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
 
Let’s talk about forming new habits. There are times in our lives when we want to create new and better habits for ourselves.
 
This could include getting into the habit of eating healthier. It might be drinking more water. Or it could be moving more and taking the dog for a daily walk. Or it could be work-related, or spiritual, or…
 
There are so many areas in our lives we can improve and make easier if we create new habits. 
 
Getting into the habit of doing something is often easier said than done. We seem to form bad habits without any effort, but getting into a “good” habit can be a little more challenging. 
 
arrows toward habits
 
We’ll break it down into a three-step process. This will make it easy to follow until you’ve internalized the new behavior and made it a true habit. You’ll do it without having to think about it. Like brushing your teeth. 
 
Decide What You Want To Do 
 
The first step is to decide what the new habit is. Be as specific as possible. Be bold. Don’t tell yourself you want to exercise more. Say something like “I will go for a 30-minute walk every single day.” Deciding what your new habit will be and committing to when and how you’re going to do it, is half the battle. 
 
Remind Yourself To Get It Done 
 
The next few days should be smooth sailing. You’re motivated and excited to get this done. Sticking to your new habit isn’t an issue. But a few days in you’ll notice that it’s easy to slip back into old habits. 
 
Say it’s raining and you’re not feeling like going out and walking. Or the hours in your day seem to be getting away from you. This is when it’s important to have a daily reminder. Set an alert on your phone or add the new habit to your daily to-do list for a while. 
 
Make It Part Of Your Routine Until It Becomes A Habit 
 
It takes some time before a new behavior becomes a true habit. Until then, a routine will work to your best advantage.
 
A routine will help you solidify the habit. This way you won’t have to spend a lot of willpower or rely on daily reminders. 
 
Make that daily walk part of your after-dinner routine. Or switch from grabbing a snack at the vending machine at work at 10:00 in the morning to packing a healthy snack. 
 
You can do this! Decide to create the new habit. Practice the routine until it’s second nature and you’ll be well on your way to forming a new good habit. 
 
JohnK 1-17-2018
 
chiforyourself.com home page
 
 
 
Image for overheard for habit formingOverheard:  “Whatever ought to be, can be”
                     ~ James Rouse
 
 
 
 
 
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Julie Loar And The Resurgence of Feminine Energy

January 13, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

It was the start of another year. 2011 to be exact. CHI FOR YOURSELF welcomed Julie Loar.

Julie’s the author of  “Goddesses for Every Day: Exploring The Wisdom and Power of the Divine Feminine Around the World.” 

 

 

 

Listen to the interview by clicking on below..

 

 

JohnK 1-13-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

 

 

Subscribe to GenuLines- get CHI FOR YOURSELF guest information and more!

5 Tips For Achieving Success With Confidence

January 8, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Achieving success can help you feel more confident. It’s not the boldest statement. But CHI FOR YOURSELF has a different way of looking at things like success and confidence.

Business successOur idea of success is not realized with new cars, houses, or loads of money. 

Today we’ll look at some ways to help you get the confidence you need to realize what you know to be true success:

 

Be true to yourself
Your values and belief system must be very much in place if you want to achieve a success coupled with serenity.

Don’t let your success come in ways which compromise your genuine self. It’ll be a success built on sand rather than solid ground and may crumble and fall with time.

Trust in your abilities
You may have much to learn before you can succeed in a chosen field or path. Think of all that you’ve achieved so far and challenges you’ve already worked through. Trust that you can do more.

Don’t dismiss what you’ve learned so far in life. You might think it was easy and that anyone could do it, but others may see it as remarkable and see you as an example.

Use your subconscious mind
Repeat positive affirmations and side-step negative thoughts. That builds strength for your subconscious mind. 

You can train your subconscious mind to carry out your intentions. That makes a real difference in how you and others see yourself.

Avoid letting negative thoughts creep in and gain control. That will cause you to doubt your true abilities.

Use correct body language
Watch your posture, stance, and your general body language. It can be powerful when dealing with others and expecting a great outcome.

Remember when your mother used to tell you to sit up straight? Good advice! It sends a far different and more positive message than slumping.

Study body language and begin to practice it.

Enter a room with your head held high and walking like you own where you are and how you present yourself. People will take notice in a positive way.

Pay attention to your personal look
Never present yourself as unkempt and looking wrinkled and ungroomed. That image isn’t one that reaps success.

If this is an area of your life where you lack skills, seek the help of others. Develop a style you’re comfortable with. One that fits the image you want to present.

 

JohnK 1-8-2018
chiforyourself.com home

 

Image for overheard for successOverheard:   Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.
                            ~Samuel Johnson

 

 

 

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