Ten Steps Toward A More Confident Life

Each of us have experienced walking into a meeting, or speaking in front of an audience or taking on a new challenge, and our confidence level is at zero.

In every situation, you must exude confidence.

Not cockiness.

Not arrogance.

Cockiness and arrogance repel others away from you.

Confidence draws others to you.

Here are ten ways to express confidence in any situation.

1) Good posture.

It is rare that you see a leader, whether business or political where good posture is not practiced.

(Bill Gates may be an exception if you have every watched him be interviewed.)

Watch any President walk into a press gathering.

Their shoulders are square and their back is straight.

Why?

It gives them the appearance of confidence.

If you look confident to others, you are confident.

2) Slow down.

If you are walking into a meeting, or to speak to a group, and you are wanting to set the tone for those around you, slow down.

If you are in a highly charged emotional setting, slow down even more.

Let your stride be an indicator you have everything under control.

3) Breathe deeply.

Before you get out of the car, take the stage, go into the meeting, take long deep breaths.

Control your breathing and your breathing will help control the rest of your body.

Your body language speaks louder than you think.

4) Speak slowly.

Rapid fire vocabulary is a dangerous approach when communicating.

You may say just the right thing at just the right moment, but if you rush it, or it is delivered too assertively, you will appear to be exactly what you are at that moment, angry, nervous and not confident.

5) Enunciate.

Practice enunciating in private so you will enunciate correctly in public.

Your words should be clear and deliberate.

6) Pronunciate.

Crucial: Do not embarrass yourself, and your organization, and you will, by not practicing challenging pronunciations, words and names ahead of time.

7) Your eyes.  They are the windows to your soul.

Your eyes should be one of your greatest assets in communicating confidence.

When speaking one on one, even though you may be in a room filled with people, pretend as though the person to whom you are speaking is the only person in the room.

At that moment, they are.

9) Your teeth.  Use them.

Smile when appropriate.

Smiling affects your eyes and your eyes reflect your confidence.

10) Know who you are.

You can practice the previous nine points but if you are not sure of yourself, it will be obvious to everyone.

11) Bonus: Practice, practice, practice.

There is no substitute for practicing confidence.