It’s okay to be scared, often that’s a sign that you are pushing yourself towards greatness. However, it’s equally important to build up your confidence and we hope the conversations presented below can help provide some food for thought around how you can level up your confidence and self-esteem.
Yossi Ben Abu’
Growing up as a deaf child in a predominantly hearing environment presented unique challenges, but it also significantly contributed to the development of my confidence and self-esteem. Navigating a world not fully tailored to accommodate my needs taught me resilience and the importance of self-advocacy. Read more>>
Tracy Bowles
I developed confidence by showing up even when I did not think I belonged or deserved to be in that space. I set realistic goals for myself, and if I needed clarification on something, I asked questions. I also developed self-esteem by making a commitment to myself to focus on my strengths and work hard for what I want and deserve. Read more>>
Sam Atherton
This is 100% something I’m still working on. It took me a long time to turn Neko Taiyaki from a small nugget of a dream to a reality because I was scared, comfortable, and not confident that I’d be able to make it work. After some gentle, and then not-so-gentle pushing from my partner, I was finally able to build my confidence and turn my dream into a fully functioning business. Read more>>
Ignacio Larraza
I’ve cultivated my confidence and self-esteem through a combination of mindful practices and personal values. Firstly, I maintain perspective on what truly matters in life, family, everyday moments, and creativity. Read more>>
Hayley An
I would say I am still on the journey to becoming fully confident in myself. Confidence has been a challenge for me since I was young. However, as I progress slowly, I’m pleased to share that I’ve grown significantly more confident and feel much more comfortable in my own skin. How did I achieve this? Read more>>
Alison Pandora
Developing confidence and self-esteem is something I continue to work on daily. Affirmations, nature, grounding, breath work, yoga, meditation, and exercise, are tools that help enhance these traits. Cultivating a genuine love for myself through daily self-care, healthy associations, inspiring books, useful quotes, and a healthy reward system with myself also assist in building confidence and self-esteem. Read more>>
Corinne Farr
I was a very shy child and always clung to my mum but when I was 4, my mum was advised to enrol me into dancing to help build my confidence and I also attended a self esteem course – both of which helped! Read more>>
Lacie Aldridge
I had to go through a lot of trial and error with this one because middle school was crazy am I right? But as of right now at 30 years old I have finally found my flow. I finally realized that my passions, what brings me joy and the things that light a spark in me ARE GOOD. There should be no shame in the game when it comes to being true to yourself. Read more>>
Brooke A. Mulholland
To even be able to say I have confidence and self esteem today… It did not come naturally. It took 18 years for me to be able to order my own food at McDonald’s. Not kidding. I was the shy kid who ate lunch in the bathroom with high levels of anxiety. Read more>>
Rebecca Heidt
When I was a child I used to be so shy and afraid to have people look or talk to me. Once in elementary I had an appointment with someone to help with my reading and I was stuck at the door handle in fear. Between my family, especially my grandmother Adele Rosenthal, coached me to have more confidence and live the life only I can for myself. Read more>>
John Tague
I’ve had great acting teachers throughout my life who recognized my talent, nurtured it, and gave me a safety net to fall back on when I failed. Through repetition in my craft, I developed confidence in my work. The more I trained the better I got. When my work was tested in professional gigs, and the response was good, it increased my confidence and self-esteem exponentially. It made me hungrier for more work and experience. The key is repetition. Read more>>
Poetic Moor
“I developed my confidence and self-esteem by acknowledging the support I’ve received from my family and friends, who have always believed in me. Despite not always feeling confident, I remind myself of the achievements I’ve made so far. Read more>>
Sandy Bartlett
I am a work in progress…aren’t we all? I am an introvert and consider myself a shy person. Most people don’t believe me when I tell them this because they have seen me in leadership roles. This is very much learned behavior for me. I have always had a drive to be a better version of myself including seeking advancement in positions – whether it was when I was working in paid corporate positions or in volunteer organizations. Read more>>
Ruben Russo
You know, growing up I had incredibly low self-esteem. Truly from age eight to about sixteen I found myself in a position where I had to endure and accept a lot about myself that made me an outcast of sorts. My family moved from South Africa to Australia when I was six years old and, we were all needing to adjust to a vastly different culture. Read more>>
Cecily May
Personally, I believe that confidence is less of a skill that is developed but rather an innate energy and quality that we are all born with. On the other hand, insecurities and judgments are maladaptive skills learned by the modeling of and interactions with our primary caregivers, family of origin, and through various childhood experiences. Read more>>
Wendy Whittaker
Growing up, I was overly critical of myself. Even in my childhood, I developed low self-esteem due to being teased at times about my looks or my clothes. The words, faces, and embarrassing situations began to take root as I rehearsed them repeatedly in my mind. Read more>>
Micki Berthelot Morency
Ironically, my confidence came from the many identities I was labeled with when my family emigrated from Haiti to the United States in the seventies. Identities that came with stereotypical expectations to keep me where they thought I belonged. In Haiti, I was just a girl. Here I became: Read more>>
April Kerr
It wasn’t really until I moved to Spain to pursue my Masters in Music, that I found my confidence. However, I believe that confidence and self esteem are ever changing and growing. Some days are better than others and that’s okay. Read more>>
Ludovico Crisanti Cucchiella
I feel confident when I am competent. That has required asking shamelessly, learning and observing. Then I made sure I had absorbed the knowledge. Once I absorbed it, I felt sure of what I was talking about. That acquired competence developed my confidence. Read more>>
Mary Kay Cocharo
Building confidence and self-esteem is a lifelong journey for most of us. I have been a Couples Therapist for 35 years and every couple, every encounter, every workshop, seminar, retreat, and Intensive has taught me something. Over time, I realize that I have seen and heard a lot which bolsters my confidence for the next thing. Read more>>
Ronalda Sedeno
Growing up I expressed as self-assured, but I wasn’t. I doubted my abilities, my beauty, and the depth of my intelligence. The outward confidence was nothing more than bravado masking deep insecurity and a need for belonging. I figured out very early on how to “give the audience what they want.” Playing the right part and role in every room; meeting the expectations and avoiding exposure. Read more>>
Honie Gold
Confidence is key to everything in life . I developed mine , from literally facing a fear . I always knew I wanted to be on stage but never had the courage to step out and do it . And , one day . I finally got the courage to do so , and a major confidence boost was released . I’ve had great self esteem ever since. Read more>>
Nikki Nikki
Developing confidence and self-esteem as a business woman is hard. It’s something that definitely took self-reflection, and resilience. A lot of times so many people were telling me “it’s not the right time, don’t do that, stepping out on your own is a risk.” Read more>>
Hanzhang Mao
My confidence comes from creating narrative works using illustrations, comics, and animations. I love observing life and building my own inspiration repository. I enjoy using my boundless imagination and creativity to inspire people and make them happy. Read more>>
Shawna Peña-Downing
I was born ready for the world. That’s what my mom has always said. For a long time, I wasn’t sure what that meant. She said I came into the world with a head full of hair, my eyes wide open, holding my head up. As I was a toddler, she said I would pull myself up and walk – never crawl. I was just ready to go, move, and do. Read more>>
Aleksei Chebeliuk
My path to confidence and self-assurance has been shaped by years of dedicated practice, pursuit of excellence, and early exposure to performing. Growing up, I was a sight to behold with my oversized round glasses held together by strips of tape. At school, I was an easy target for bullies who never missed a chance to remind me of my odd appearance. Read more>>
Carmen Branch
I find my purpose in doing things that benefit others. It wasn't until recently that I realized that this was my true purpose. Whether it is through community service, or my profession, I like to find solutions to people's problems and help improve their lives. Read more>>
Monica Hughson
I have learned that confidence and self-esteem are developed from intrinsic desire to want to get better . Whether it is meditating every day, running a marathon, or accepting an invitation to speak at a leadership conference, I say yes to the challenge in spite of those negative thoughts that replay in my mind. Read more>>
