Building Confidence
Confidence comes from the proof of our ability to do something. This ability is the application of a skill we have developed through practice. The skill we have practiced was learned by us after we opened our minds to the possibility of our being able to develop the skill. This opening of our mind came after we broke free from whatever belief may have been there before. This breaking of the old belief is a form of physical and emotional housecleaning.
The first step to build confidence is cleansing. Our body cleans itself out by sweating, breathing, elimination (going to the bathroom), and shedding skin. We aid this cleansing through vigorous and regular exercise. Emotional cleansing is also aided by physical exercise, which releases chemicals that balance adrenalin. Better respiration aids emotional cleansing by richly oxygenating the blood flowing into the brain.
After we have cleansed our body and mind, we must learn new ways to think, speak, and act. Using exercise, we can train our bodies to respond to stress by breathing deeply, developing correct posture, and creating an ability to make and maintain eye contact. By finding new and more positive ways in which to see ourselves, and the roles we play in this life, we can learn new methods and techniques to improve our emotional health and self-image.
In order for these techniques and methods to become skills, we must practice them consistently and diligently. This training is a conditioning at a very fundamental level. For example, the cells in our body do not know the difference between physical and emotional stress. This means that we can condition our body to breathe in response to great physical stress from running or other similar exercise, so that when we experience an equivalent
amount of emotional stress, the body naturally begins to breathe and our stress will be reduced.
After a skill has been developed, it must be applied to acquire proof of success. If a child has been trained to focus on schoolwork and, through application, receives grades better than ever before, the proof is the improved report card. By conditioning her body to handle stress with breathing, proof of success might be recognition by an employer of calmness under pressure. The result could be a promotion or monetary bonus.
Matt Pasquinilli is the Executive Director of the non-profit Asian Arts Center Taekwondo School in Dayton, Ohio.
www.aacdayton.com
