How to Like Yourself (Building Confidence)
Oct 15, 2024
Healthy people are drawn to those who like themselves. Being around people who have confidence in their worth and abilities will build your own self-esteem.
Many believe their value comes from their performance in different areas of life (career, health, finances, marriage, etc.). When they do well, they get validation and feel valued. On the flip side, many feel worthless when they don't achieve what they hoped.
Getting your value from your performance or the opinions of others is believing a lie. One of my all-time favorite books, You Are Special, addresses this magnificently.
Liking yourself is not something you earn through performance or the approval of others. It grows as you recognize your value, face fear, and begin taking actions that strengthen your faith in yourself. In this episode of the Decide Your Legacy podcast, I share five practical ways to build genuine self-confidence and begin living more courageously.
You Won't Build Self-Confidence From:
- What others think about you
- Your job or career or where you work
- Your achievements
- What you own (car, home, business, etc.)
- How much money you have
- Your kids, spouse, friends
- The credentials/degrees you've earned
- Your physical appearance
- The condition of your health
- Your skills and abilities
You Will Gain Confidence From 3 Things
1. Facing Your Fears
This means taking actions that challenge you to grow, like reaching out to people professionally and personally, and letting go of the outcome. This means taking emotional risks where you could get rejected.
2. Taking Ownership of Your Life
This means that you don't blame anyone for how you feel. You don't blame circumstances, situations, or people for what happened in your past. Additionally, you let go of resentments and move toward your vision, taking 100% ownership of what happens in your future. There's freedom in ownership.
3. Courageously Being Yourself
You cannot fix an internal problem with an external solution. The solution to liking yourself lies within YOU. Get to know yourself. Your uniqueness comes from the traits and life experiences you're proud of, and your failures and weaknesses. The adversities you've been through can become your greatest tools for helping others.
Build Confidence From the Inside Out
You cannot build lasting confidence through achievements, possessions, appearance, or the approval of others. Genuine confidence grows when you face fear, accept who you are, and take courageous action based on what matters most to you.
Shatterproof Yourself Lite gives you 7 practical steps to help you reduce anxiety, strengthen your confidence, and move toward the life and relationships you really want.
3 Questions To Know Yourself Better
1. How are you put together (personality traits, strengths)?
2. What consistently draws your attention (passions and interests)?
3. What life experiences, good and bad, have shaped you the most?
Here's a fillable pdf worksheet called Know Your True Value Worksheet to guide you through the process of identifying your positive intrinsic traits.
Above all, knowing your worth gives you the confidence to face life's challenges. It gives confidence to face rejection. When you like yourself, you don't get defensive when people mistreat you because you know that how they act is a reflection of them, not you.
Start Living Like You Know Your Value
Knowing you have value is important, but confidence becomes real when you begin acting on that belief. It grows when you face rejection, stop allowing fear to define you, and take ownership of the direction of your life.
Shatterproof Yourself Lite will guide you through 7 practical steps to help you reduce anxiety, build confidence, and take courageous action in your life and relationships.
Related Content
18 Ways to Build Self-Confidence by Adam Gragg
How to Be a Better Friend to Yourself by Adam Gragg
6 Questions That Will Destroy Fear and Build Real Confidence by Adam Gragg
How to Take Emotional Risks and Build Confidence by Adam Gragg
