Imagine the plight of a boy who had a hearing problem and so could not understand teacher’s instructions well. He was labeled a mentally weak child, who had no brains for studies and was thrown out of the school! This child was none other than the great Thomas Alva Edison. Now would you agree with the school that he was dumb? How is it possible, then, for a dumb child to patent more than 1000 inventions – more than the collective patents of all the scientists of his time? The credit goes to his mother for not letting him lose his self-confidence. Such is the power of self-confidence that inspires people to achieve great feats.

Einstein, after hearing about the way Mahatma Gandhi was determined to free his nation by using non-violence as a weapon, said that it would be difficult for future generations to imagine that such a man had walked down this planet. Gandhi’s self-confidence worked and his country was freed. Whether it is a patriot defending his country’s border, a swimmer giving all to get the medal for his country, a musician performing to a packed hall, a child reciting poem to her class, a fire-fighter struggling to save people, they all have something in common which makes them stand apart from other people. These people have an “I can” attitude towards life. They are full of self-confidence.

 Corporations have been known to use tools like teamwork to inspire self-confidence in their people. People are the greatest asset an organization can have. Jack Welch the CEO of GE believed that the best idea wins, no matter where it comes from. So how do we get this best idea? It can only come from the people out there. So it is important to make every person feel himself to be an important part of the organization who has all the opportunity to learn, understand and develop the self-confidence to speak out his ideas. Ideas are a real treasure for a company to have, and it is self-confidence that brings great ideas to the forefront.

There are numerous examples in the history where a single person of courage changed the course of events. Be it Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi or Mother Teresa, all used their patience, perseverance, compassion and self-confidence to stay put on the path they had chosen.

Imagination – the cradle of self-confidence!

Our imagination is one of the greatest gifts that God have given us. Our imagination can stretch to any lengths. So much so that your own imagination has the power to make or break you. Though what you imagine yourself to be might be miles away from actual truth, it’s your imagination that dictates your feelings and emotions. What makes a successful person different from a failure is basically the way both of them think. If at a T-point you take the route to City A, you will reach City A. If you decide to go to the other direction to City B, you will reach City B. It’s as simple as that. You get what you want. So beware of your wants. You want what you imagine, so imagine great things for yourself.

People with low self-confidence usually imagine themselves as not doing well in their jobs, at home, in relationships and so on. Whereas a person with self-confidence would imagine himself getting a promotion in the next two years, having a family, kids, pay rise, holidays, owning a home and so on. So be a self-confident person and fantasize. Fantasizing is good for you. Fantasize about all what you would like to have for you. Meeting great people, shouldering great responsibilities, going places, and becoming the person you would like to become. This is a way to feed your mind with necessary inputs and your mind has the power to give solutions. Tell your mind the right things to do, and your mind will get you what you wanted. Believe it. It’s true!