How to be More Confident in Your Life (at Work & Home)

Does a 6-year-old Actually Have More Confidence than You? (6-min read)

Today, I’m here to share a powerful concept that can transform your life and make you a better person (hopefully a richer person too). This idea can help improve your professional and personal life. Whether you just got a new job or have been in working for 50 years, many of us struggle with this every day.

We want something, but can’t get it. We need something, but we fail at getting it. Why?

Because we didn’t ASK.

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I recently got reminded of how powerful asking can be, by a 6-year-old girl. My family and I were fortunate to go on a vacation getaway, where we stayed at a top-rated hotel with dozens of pools and a theme park-size water slide. Our rooms were well appointed and the service was super friendly. But it wasn’t the staff that was memorable to me. It was this 6-year-old. YES, a 6-year-old child that can barley swim!

On our second day there, our kids were having a blast running around and we were relaxing pool side, until suddenly this young girl walks up to us and abruptly asks “Can I have that?”, pointing to our pool toys. We hesitated not knowing who sent her. In any case, we quickly said yes and off she went with our toy.  

What!? What just happened here? How did this child get the confidence to approach perfect strangers, ask for something and get it? Why wasn’t she scared? Did her parents teach her this? I had a million questions running through my mind.

Now some might say… She’s just a kid. She hasn’t been through a life full of NO’s. She doesn’t know better. Greed. Etc.

I could disagree.

It’s simple, she wanted to play with this toy, so she confidently asked for it. (by-the-way... after playing with it, she carefully returned it to us)

So why do we as adults have so much trouble grasping this concept of confidently asking? In business, we need to know if our customers like our products and services but, we don’t ask. We want reviews and feedback but, no request. Personally, we want financial advice, but fail there also. We want to make positive changes in our lives, again, didn’t ask others for help. Do you get my point?

If you’re genuinely a good, hardworking, caring person, that knows you’ve tired your best. You’ve given 110% effort, you have all the right to ask. Your life deserves it!

12 Ways to be More Confident in Yourself:

• Think Positively – Good things come to positive people!
• Be Thankful – You’re so lucky for what you have in your life.
• You’re an Amazing Person! – Crush self-limiting thoughts.
• Face Your Fears – Write down a list of 5 things that really scare you. Then go out and conquer them!
• Find a Mentor – Someone you can trust, learn from, and get great advice.
• Learn Something New and then teach it to someone.
• Failure is Good for Growth -  Nothing is perfect. Neither are we.
• Stay Focused – Don’t let distractions steer you away from your goals
• Believe in yourself – Know everything is possible
• Be a Role Model -  There will always be someone that knows less than you. Inspire them to be great!
• Speak in Public -  The fastest ways to overcome your fears is to speak in front strangers.
• Dream Big! – No one ever says.. I had this small dream that turned big.

Here 8 things I’ve asking for that have made me a more successful person and it can help you too:

1. Learn by Asking a person more successful than you – “How did you do build your business?” or “Tell me how you got to your position.”
2. Do less of what you are bad at by asking a co-worker, “What is something I am honestly bad at?”
3. Ask for a job promotion because you’ve always gone above and beyond your duties. Perhaps, you’ve received additional certifications or continuous learning on your own, to be qualified.
4. Ask for financial advice – “Show me how you’re planning for your retirement?” or “Am I making a good or bad investment”. It never hurts to ask multiple people financial questions.
5. Ask a someone in your social network to connect you with someone that could be valuable to your business/life.
6. Ask Why. Remember always being inquisitive as a kid? Why did you stop?
7. Asking in business – “Mrs. Smith, what is one thing we can do better?”
8. Ask for a raise – You know in your heart how hard you’ve worked. If you truly deserve it, ask!

I honestly believe ALL kind, helpful and generous people should be able to reap all rewards of life. The best way to achieve this is by Confidentially Asking. Let’s get out of our comfort zones, break out of our shells and become a stronger person.

What is something that you have done that has helped you be more confident? Comment below.

Hit the Like Button if this article was helpful to you. Have a successful day!

-Rupesh Patel

About Rupesh Patel

Hi! I'm Rupesh Patel, hotel owner and founder at SmartGuests.com, a U.S.-based company that helps businesses like yours, improve guest interactions by implementing customer service training, strategies and marketing tools. My hands-on experiences and creative ideas have been featured in industry magazines, websites, books and blogs. Today, I'm here to share my passion for entrepreneurship, customer service and marketing with you.

Connect on LinkedIn: www.dhirubhai.net/in/rupeshpatel1/

Read my Blog: www.smartguests.com/blog

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