Comments on: Confidence – A Habit Worth Building

By: Tanveer Naseer

Tanveer Naseer — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:36:52 +0000

Thanks Lara; I'm glad you enjoyed this post.

As a father, I completely agree with you about the importance of instilling a sense of self-confidence in our children at an early age. By encouraging our children to believe in themselves, challenge what they think are their limits and praise them for their accomplishments, we can help them build a sense of self-confidence which is sustainable because it's built within themselves and not dependent on outside factors.

Thanks again Lara for sharing your thoughts on this piece.

By: Lara

Lara — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:49:26 +0000

Very well observed and so succintly written. I think its really important to also realise how important it is to instil this feeling of confidence in our little ones and at a young age. You say that "confidence is not something you’re born with, it’s something you develop from inside." and I highly agree. When my children do something for the first time that they have never done before, like try to ride a bike, I shower them with praise and really instill in them how amazing it is what they have achieved. On hearing this, they invariably want to try harder, do better, and the next time they get on the bike to try to ride it, I can see they already have a little more confidence than before. It all starts from a young age. Nice post! My recent post Why Are Trigonometry Problems So Difficult

By: Tanveer Naseer

Tanveer Naseer — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:32:29 +0000

Wow, thanks Richard for the kind words. I’m flattered and humbled to hear how much this piece has resonated with you and I’m thrilled to know that it’s inspired you to push yourself even higher. And thanks for sharing your experiences with this, Richard. I appreciate your contributions to this discussion.

By: Tanveer Naseer

Tanveer Naseer — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:17:54 +0000

Thanks John. Likewise.

By: John Haydon

John Haydon — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:05:40 +0000

It is. Glad I got to know you! .-= John Haydon´s last blog ..How Adaptable Is Your Nonprofit Social Media Marketing? =-.

By: Tanveer Naseer

Tanveer Naseer — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:34:26 +0000

Thanks John; I appreciate that.

You’re absolutely right that having a strong sense of purpose helps to make someone more confident and this is because your focus is not simply on yourself, but on something bigger than you; something you intrinsically know and understand to be the right course to take.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts on this, John. It’s turning into a fascinating discussion in seeing what aspects of building confidence people are drawn to.

By: Richard A Marti Jr

Richard A Marti Jr — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:17:33 +0000

Nice Tanveer. You reached in and grabbed my heart. I don't usually think about my confidence until someone says something nice about me. Then I am confronted with the tension between that confidence and security I present to the world and the inner turmoil I wrestle with in my thoughts. Yes, I am confident. But that doesn't mean I always feel it. Sometimes I am scared shit-less. There is a connection to the mission John Haydon speaks to that compels me to go confidently. Thank you for communicating this so eloquently. You inspired me to reach even higher. .-= Richard A Marti Jr´s last blog ..“OGM My Blog is Gone” -Prevent the Panic =-.

By: John Haydon

John Haydon — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:20:31 +0000

Tanveer – Nailed it again!

The most insightful part of this post, for me, is that confidence comes from “a firm understanding of what they believe to be right and wrong and this understanding comes from within them”.

A strong sense of mission is what makes me confident. This makes the confidence issue bigger than how I feel about my own capabilities. It becomes about the riotousness of the pursuit, not the person.
.-= John Haydon´s last blog ..How Adaptable Is Your Nonprofit Social Media Marketing? =-.

By: Tanveer Naseer

Tanveer Naseer — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:45:56 +0000

Thanks Sharon. It's nice to see so many different parts of this piece resonating with people.

You're right that there's an element of confidence that is innately derived, the 'nature' element that is apparent in most human behaviours. But as with most human traits, there's still plenty of room for people to create their own sense of confidence based on their life experiences and the perceptions that come from it. And as you said, it's only a matter of reaching out to connect with it.

Thanks again, Sharon, for sharing your thoughts in this discussion. A pleasure, as always.

By: Sharon Eden

Sharon Eden — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:09:43 +0000

Hi Tanveer… Appreciate and agree with Frank and Susan's comments. I particularly enjoyed your point about confident people recognising compliments and accepting them. Feel compassion for those who when you compliment them reply along the lines of…. Oh, this old thing!

And, while I believe confidence can be learned, I believe its basis is a natural confidence with which we are born. For some their environment nurtures and develops that confidence. For others there's a necessary disconnection form natural confidence when the environment works against it.

Yet it's always just a hair's breadth away. And always always available for re-connection!

Love to you…