Often what holds people back from either starting their own business, or expanding their current one, is a lack of self-confidence.

One phrase I hear over and over again is: “That’s just the way I am.”

When perhaps they really should be saying, “This is the way I choose to be… based on my fears, habits and limited beliefs.” (I know it doesn’t feel like a choice, but hear me out.)

Most people are very willing to ACCEPT a limitation upon themselves or their business. They think that “It’s just the way I am” is a FACT… when it’s really more of an excuse not to change.

Why in the world do we look for an excuse NOT to change? We are MEANT to change. We are changing beings. Our bodies and minds are literally changing all the time.

Think about it.
Are you the same person you were when you were five years old? No!

In those years, you have learned. You have grown. You have discovered and defined the behaviors and mindset that WORK for you – that are more aligned with who you want to be. You’re not even the same person you were a year ago. In fact, you are under no obligation to be the same person you thought you were YESTERDAY!

1 ) Hold a Positive Self-Image. (This includes respecting yourself and your work)

Learn to look at the positive things about yourself and focus on those rather than the negative. It doesn’t mean that you have to think that everything about you is perfect and that everything you do is fantastic… sometimes it means recognizing that something you did could have been handled better.

Recognize that if you can SEE better, you can DO better.

When you see something that could be better about yourself, what you are seeing is actually your POTENTIAL! If you see a lot of areas where you don’t measure up, you are actually seeing how AMAZING you could potentially be! Just don’t beat yourself up for not being there already.

Certainly, own up to your mistakes and to areas where you could improve, but hold even more tightly to the idea that you are pure potential, still “in development,” learning and growing with every experience.

And along those same lines…

2) Use the words “I am” Carefully and Consciously

Any time you say “I am” you are accepting (or revealing) a belief about yourself, so OWN that.
Don’t say anything after “I am” that you don’t want to accept as part of who you are as a person.
You are literally PROGRAMMING your own subconscious as to who you want to be.

And if you are looking for an affirmation, one of the most powerful affirmations you can use is, ‘I am able.”

3) Acknowledge forward momentum, no matter how small.

If you are moving forward, even if it is less than half a step forward, take a moment and celebrate that you aren’t moving backward. And that you aren’t standing still.

Sometimes we take leaps and bounds forward – but mostly our lives are made up of the little steps – our daily choices.

Think of it as like any other investment. Slow steady gains in your business add up and before you know it, you are way ahead of the game.

Even physically, if you keep moving forward, a year from now you will be in a completely new place – no matter how small the steps. So acknowledge that and celebrate it with EVERY move forward.

Because when you celebrate the small wins it invites the BIG WINS into your life!

4) Have a Support System that encourages confidence.

That doesn’t seem like much to ask, but you’d be surprised.

Be discerning when you look at your current support system. Actively seek out those that have one of the following qualities:

• You feel supported by them psychologically.

Personally, that means that they see VALUE in you. There are those people that make you feel better and stronger, just by being around them. Because you know they value you.

In business, it means those that share your ideas and visions for your company. They see the value of what you provide, what the business has to offer and their role in helping offer that service or product to others.

• You feel encouraged by them.

In business this is EXTREMELY important. You don’t need limiting beliefs and voices – especially UNINFORMED beliefs and voices.

It’s amazing how encouraging those who have succeeded in their own business or marketing efforts are – but that’s because they have done it! They know it’s possible.

Surround yourself with those that BELIEVE. Seek out mentors that know it, have done it and actively encourage you to reach for more!

And in your daily life, be on the lookout for those people that reflect and reinforce your “possibility” thoughts – rather than your “impossiblity” thoughts. We all have a crowd of doubting voices living in our heads – we don’t need to add more outside voices to reinforce those.

And this is important: Remember that YOU need to be that person to those around you.

YOU need to be the one that encourages and sees the possibilities. Allow yourself to be the Support System that others need.

Trust me when I say that highly successful business people that you encounter have no interest in having people around them that stifle their flow or bring down their energy.

So, if you want more people around you that are highly successful, become the type of supportive person that they are looking for. You’ll also find that as you become more supportive and encouraging to others, you will also become more so with yourself and your own efforts.

5 ) You are co-creating

Lastly, one of the strongest tools you have in your “confidence belt” is faith that it’s not you alone doing anything.

There is a power stronger than yourself that moves through you. Partnering and Co-creating in all your endeavors. In reality, it doesn’t matter what you call it: The Universe, Destiny, God, Your Higher Self, The “Force” or your “unique and personal connection to the creative power of the cosmos.”

Whatever you call it, that mental and emotional shift of feeling that you can turn something over to a higher power — and have action move THROUGH you — is an amazing confidence boost.

Suddenly, you aren’t fighting all the psychological blocks of thinking YOU can’t do something.

Suddenly you are ALLOWING something BIGGER than yourself to work through you.

And the confidence you were unable to show yourself alone, is suddenly there when you feel bolstered with your secret backup. Because no matter how large the situation in front of you, it pales in comparison to what you have backing you up.

So there you have it!  Five very simple shifts in thinking.

But as simple as they are, they are incredibly POWERFUL! Really let them sink in.

Read through them a few times and think about how you might implement one or two of these shifts in your life today. If one touched you especially, CLAIM IT. Talk about it with others.

Share in the comments section below. It doesn’t just help other people looking for inspiration, but it also lets your subconscious know that this information is important so that it will help you behind the scenes (when you’re not actively thinking about it.)

Note: Please know that we greatly appreciate all of your thoughts and ideas but to try and cut down on people trying to spam our site, we automatically delete comments with links to websites or videos on other sites.

So remember, you truly deserve to be confident! There is no one else quite like you. You are a unique expression in this world.

Engage with the world and allow your unique-ness to be shared.

We’ll all be grateful you did. 🙂