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Looking at the word confidence reminds us how personal it is and therefore how emphatically it leads us away from self-doubt. The dictionary definition of to confide is 'to trust wholly or have faith with'; coming from the latin 'con-' (completeness) and '-fidere' (trust). Viewing our abilities from the perspective of 'complete trust' with intensity, purpose and the purest form of equanimity leaves no room for the endless spinning of abstract fantasy-based allusion. Furthermore, it sharpens our ability to draw a line where we know we need more time to develop. And that’s okay. Because the art of self-confidence is knowing where the line is as well as knowing it can be redrawn. If you're a climber dangling from a rope, imagine being watched by a group of boisterous boys; how intensely personal is your confiding now? Are you truly focussed on your ability, on your 'possibility'? In whose eyes is the leap you make a 'success' or a 'failure'? In whose eyes is it simply the result of a deeply personal assessment? Challenging yourself is just another piece of a puzzle whose 'incompleteness' represents the joy of life itself. Maintaining mental health and physical fitness is rewarding precisely because these pieces come, go, and change all the time. But confidence. Self-belief. Complete trust. Is quietly and firmly whispered, "I know I am capable of doing this and maybe I will today." So, close your eyes. Breathe. Ask yourself, "Can I do this? Do I want to do this? Would I like to do this? Am I safe? Will I commit with every particle of my being in this moment?" Listen carefully because trusting in the truth of the answers is the very cherished secret of confidence itself.
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