How Confidence and Your Internal Voice Work Together

 Let’s approach this by continuing with the example about you being asked to give a presentation to a large group. It's a big speaking opportunity and your first one like this to do as a speaker.

What would you tell yourself?

Would you say words of encouragement or words of defeat?

What you tell yourself, about yourself, really matters. Your mind believes what you tell it, especially when you are speaking about yourself. You know that inner critic that sometimes creeps up? The critic started from a thought and the words that followed amplified that thought. On the other side, when you think you will do well at something, have you noticed that the words that follow are supportive and encouraging?

Once those words get started, they can also create their own replay, sometimes at a moment’s notice. They can raise your spirits, even if you are nervous, or they can perpetuate a frustrating situation to seem worse than it is. Then once this loop starts, it feeds your thoughts.

So, if the internal dialogue was something along the lines of, “I can’t do this” or “I know I’m gonna mess this up”, how do you think you would feel? Do you really think you would do well delivering the speech or presentation, if that internal dialogue was all that played on your replay loop?

On the other hand, what if the internal dialogue used positive and empowering language? Something like “I’ve got this!” or “This is going to be fun!”. Imagine if that was on the replay loop! Wouldn’t you feel like you would be successful, even if you were a little nervous?

The language we use, especially to ourselves, about ourselves is powerful.

The more you shifted your language toward success and believing you will do well, the more you will increase your confidence and it will show.