If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today – Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese monk
I’ve never cared for negative self-talk. “I can’t do that,” “I’m not good at that,” “I’m never on time,” etc. all suck the life out of the air. STOP it. It’s not helping you. Conversely, as the saying goes, what you think is what you become!
An incredibly powerful way to boost your confidence and fortitude in every situation is to combine your due diligence/preparation, commitment, and resolve to a profession, with an affirmation of your strengths! Keep in mind, the positive self-talk should be backed by a substantive investment and actual strength – otherwise, I would be an astronaut tomorrow!
Over the years, I’ve found that the more I double down on that which:
- I genuinely enjoy (say professional speaking),
- I’ve developed a certain level of competency in (I’ve delivered 50-60 global keynotes annually for the past 15 years), and
- that which rewards me for my perceived investment of time, effort, and resources,
fuels my continued personal and professional growth!
Test different statements until you find one that resonates with you. “I love speaking to a gathering of business professionals because I can help them think and lead differently in the evolution of themselves and their organizations!”
Fortifying this strength, through hard work and affirmation of it quietly or silently to myself, at intervals throughout the day, or whenever I face a setback (lost speaking engagement to a competitor), or a difficulty (no one meeting in person), helps me amplify my perspective. I also tend to get creative and come up with new, unique, or previously untested approaches – Innovation Sprints and Learning Expeditions.
What ONE strength can you fortify today? David Nour