Self Confidence Nurtures Happiness
“While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.” ~ Henry C. Link
We just don’t seem to get it. We know the stories of tremendously successful people who had many failures on their way to success. They had the confidence to plow ahead and do what they were made to do. And they experienced the happiness that came with living their dream.
We hesitate because we don’t think we are ready yet. We don’t think we will do a good enough job. Our self confidence is low. So the job goes undone. We go through another week, another month, and don’t do what we want to do. How can you be happy if you’re not doing what you want to do?
Many years ago, two friends of mine (Don and Carl) set out to live their dreams of becoming race-car drivers. They both bought older sports cars, got their SCCA licenses and began modifying their cars. Don’s Dad owned a machine shop and Don worked every night building the perfect race car. He was going to win his first race because he’d have the best and fastest car. And it looked like he would be right.
Carl did some work on his car; made it safe and added some speed, and then took it to the track and entered his first race. He didn’t care how he did; he just wanted to race. He didn’t need to win to boost his self confidence. He just wanted the fun.
Carl finished next to last in that first race. But the next weekend, he finished tenth out of sixteen and each time he raced, his times got better and he had more and more fun.
Don wasn’t ready yet. He didn’t have enough self-confidence to handle finishing next to last. He was scared to fail! And he wasn’t having much fun.
Carl was having the time of his life. He was living his dream and it was more fun than he ever imagined.
One night Carl got a call from Don’s Dad. Don was in an accident; could he meet him at the hospital. Don died that night. He missed a curve and hit a tree.
Don didn’t win his first race. He never got to live his dream. What are you waiting to do until you have everything perfect? What are you missing by not getting going?
Each of us has greatness inside us, but it sometimes gets put on hold. Sometimes it stays on hold forever. Because we didn’t have the confidence that we were ready to get going.
Filed under: Be True to Yourself, Living Your Passion, Self Confidence