If you are like me and countless others at some point in your life you may have wondered how it’s possible to believe in yourself and all that you are?

Whether you believe it or not, the life that you are currently living is shaped by this allusive quality. It is probably one of the most important ingredients for living a fulfilled, satisfied, rich life. Belief in oneself is the single most important factor in your strive for success.

Want to know why? Read on to find out…

What Is Self Belief?

The Collins dictionary definition of self belief is described as confidence in your own abilites or judgement. In this article I’ll attempt to dymystify it and give you some pragmatic steps to build it.

Therefore, it will take certain traits to know how to believe in yourself and everything that you are which will involve:

• Having the confidence to believe in yourself and your own abilities, skills and knowledge until you reach success
• Being resilient when set backs arise and not allowing yourself to fall into self defeating behaviours or thought patterns, but instead viewing them as opportunities to grow
• Having a positive mindset and a positive outlook on life, and being able to focus on possibilities instead of limitations
• Having a healthy foundation of self worth and being able to sense the inherent value you have and the unique value you bring to the world without the need for external validation
• Having dedication, drive and showing determination towards reaching your goals. Being persistent in your pursuits

Knowing How To Believe in Yourself & All That You Are Can Change Your Life

It may sound like an exaggeration but here’s the truth, having self belief can change your life by unlocking the doors of opportunity. Believing in yourself boils down to self confidence,  and here’s an inconvenient truth, it will take courage if you really want to know how to believe in yourself.

The entry level requirement for the life of your dreams is courage, bucket loads of it and perseverance, because the very nature of life means that you are bound to experience set backs along the way.

The good thing is by reading this article it means you are aware that something needs to change. An astute sense of self awareness can only enhance your chances of personal and/or professional success.

What Causes a Lack of Self Belief?

A lack of self belief is affected by a lack of self confidence. As children the onus is on our parents and carers to cultivate an environment of encouragement and support. This foundation leads to a sense of self assuredness and capability but if this weren’t given to us, our foundations might not be solid. 

Low self esteem can stem from:

Early learning

• Guardians that were either too overprotective and didn’t give room for oneself to figure things out in a safe supportive environment. 
• An upbringing where a parent/carer was highly critical and consistently put the child down. 
• A parent/carer that was neglectful and failed to encourage and support an individual in early childhood

Adulthood

• Negative self-talk: Constantly engaging in negative self-talk can erode self-belief over time.
• Past failures: Previous setbacks and failures can create doubt in one’s abilities.
• Comparison to others: Constantly comparing oneself to others can lead to feelings of inadequacy.
• Lack of support: Not having a strong support system can contribute to a lack of self-belief.
• Fear of failure: The fear of failing can prevent individuals from believing in their own capabilities.
• Perfectionism: Striving for perfection can set unrealistic standards, leading to self-doubt.
• Imposter syndrome: Feeling like a fraud or undeserving of success can undermine self-belief.
• Limited mindset: Having a fixed mindset and believing that abilities cannot be developed can hinder self-belief.
• Abusive relationships: Intimate relationships where there was covert or obvious emotional or psychological abuse

Self doubt

Like a radio frequency with static interference, self doubt is the single biggest killer of hopes and dreams. You were given this life to experience and expand into your highest potential but a lack of self confidence is rooted in fear and suppresses your true potential.

Much like a radio broadcast station, in order to Iive the life of our dreams we must tune into our highest potential. This potential is equivalent to a radio broadcasting channel. The channel that you decide to tune into will ultimately determine your reality.

Self doubt stems from a lack of self confidence and will drain a person’s energy field. Low confidence is like knowing there’s a treasure chest of gifts buried within you but having no access to the key. Low self esteem will feel the most overwhelming and frustrating when you are aware there’s is greatness within you…. did you notice the operative words? There is greatness within you!

17 Ways How to Believe in Yourself and All That You Are

1: Believe It Is Possible

Fact: The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible

If you have suffered from chronic low self confidence, the idea of having self belief may seem like a foreign concept. You may have convinced yourself that having the life you imagine is way above your pay grade and only reserved for the ‘lucky’ few.

“If you believe you can, or if you believe that you can’t, you are right!

You may have grown comfortable with the unconfident version of yourself. If it is a belief that you have held for a long time, then maybe this may have formed the basis of your identity.

The negatively held belief then becomes deeply entrenched because you are anxious of who you will be without this known self image, even though it is toxic.

Self-confidence (believing in yourself) is knowing you can do something because you’ve done it before and succeeded so for confidence building and training, create a collection of wins.

Believing in oneself is a powerful tool that can shape our identity and influence our actions. It’s common to grow comfortable with a version of ourselves that lacks confidence, but it’s important to recognize that this belief is not set in stone.

When we hold onto negative beliefs for a long time, they can become deeply ingrained in our identity. However, it is possible to challenge and change these beliefs through self-reflection, positive affirmations, and taking small steps towards building confidence.

By acknowledging that our beliefs are not fixed and actively working towards shifting them, we can create space for personal growth and transformation. Embracing the possibility of change opens up new opportunities for self-improvement and empowerment.

2: Develop Fierce Determination – Do Things That Make You Uncomfortable

Fact: Those small things that make us uncomfortable help us build courage to do the work we do

Embrace the reality that in order to grow, you need to do things that make you uncomfortable. Throgh fierce determination you are reframing the way that you look at discomfort, you are cultivating a new-found confidence.

Taking a risk and facing your fears requires guts. If you lack confidence in yourself, performing little bravery exercises will help you develop the foundational skills needed to reach your full potential.

When we don’t feel good about ourselves, we underestimate how important it is to give small acts of bravery the highest priority in order to build our confidence. Being courageous involves taking a risk even when you know the results are uncertain.

It’s an ironic fact that the source of fear is also the solution to low self-esteem. It is imperative that you pursue your fears as they will instill a natural feeling of mental fortitude in you.

The fact remains that taking risks helps us to develop a newfound sense of true courage.

Overcoming self doubt

Self-doubt is a pervasive and often paralyzing concern, and research has repeatedly shown that it impacts women more than men. So what makes high-achieving women power through their self-doubt? According to the author’s research, they focus on building up their courage, not their confidence. She offers three strategies to help women take bold actions in the face of self-doubt and fear: 1) Don’t underestimate the impact of small, yet significant, acts of courage; 2) Practice courageous acts in all areas of your life; and 3) Try again tomorrow.

Harvard Business Review

It is therefore necessary to have bravery and not to believe in yourself if you are trying to achieve something you have never done before. You need to go for your dreams even without any reassurance that you will succeed. The goal is to feel your fears and do it anyway.

3: There’s No Substitute For Clear Thinking

Fact: Negative self-talk can significantly impact your self-esteem and reinforce limiting beliefs

Are you aware of the words that you feed yourself on a consistent basis? Do you often find yourself using self defeating words such as ‘hard’ or ‘difficult’? Do you even notice the critical voice in your head that is inhibiting you from ever cultivating a healthy sense of self worth?

The words that we use in our everyday language are spells that we cast on ourselves each time we speak them. These words can also provide clues and signpost as to where we are blocked and which limiting beliefs are deep-rooted within our subconscious psyche.

When you catch yourself engaging in self-doubt or negative self talk, challenge yourself to reframe the quality of your inner self talk. Make it into a game to consciously catch yourself when you attempt to talk yourself out of believing in yourself. The more you start to engage positive self-talk you will start to notice it happening naturally. 

Comparison is an act of violence towards the self esteem

It should go without saying that you should never compare yourself to anyone. Comparison will take away any sense of achievement, any sense of joy, any sense of gratitude, and will also rob you of perspective.

Anxiety is usually a part of this package and when it is dominant vibration, it is like negative energy that has gained strength. It’s important to feel your fears without identifying with the story that the fear is telling you.

Positive self-talk can be a powerful tool in building self-belief and confidence. Through clear thinking and choosing to speak to ourselves in an encouraging and supportive manner, we can cultivate a mindset that fosters growth and resilience.

Self-belief is the foundation upon which all personal development is built. Talking to ourselves positively and using clear thinking help us believe in our potential and skills, gives us the bravery and will to face obstacles head-on.

By incorporating positive affirmations and constructive self-dialogue into our daily routine, we can rewire our inner narrative to one that uplifts and motivates us. This practice leads to a more successful and meaningful life by improving mental health and self-esteem.

4: Strive For Your Dreams!

Fact: Believe you deserve and the universe with serve it

When you look in the mirror, what do you tell yourself? Do you speak words of encouragement or are your words unkind? Can you recognise that person in the mirror as somebody who is worthy of realising their dreams? Can you strive for your goals with a fierce determination?

When we do not receive the love and encouragement that we needed in early years this affects our self worth. We turn outwards for nuggets of validation and overlook our inherent worthiness. However whenever we turn outwards for confirmation we are never truly satiated. Knowing your value and being able to believe in yourself go hand in hand.

Self worth is the single most determining factor for what we believe our deserving of from life. Learning how to feel worthy is often overlooked but can capatult your self development to a brand new height.

Read more on personal mastery and how to cultivate a renewed sense of self worth here.

By the time we have fully matured, whether we received a supportive upbringing or not the onus is now you vs you. You are a life coach, mentor, friend, parent, supporter wrapped up in one unassuming package.

You are also your own enemy, your hater, your imposter, your frenemy…

We have all now reached a point in life where it is nobody’s responsibility to get us across the finish line but us.  

When you can see yourself objectively, you will notice what you are missing

A little statement I would say to myself is that I’m somebody’s child too and I found this empowering. Even if your upbringing was rocky this can be an empowering statement to tell yourself.

When you look at your reflection tell yourself I believe in you. Show yourself your worth by making a promise to the reflection staring back at you in the mirror that you are going to give yourself everything that she/he deserves.  Everything that was denied to you, make a promise to yourself to give it to you.

5: Work On Your Purpose

Fact: Purpose simply put is any direction you find most motivating

Most people wonder what their purpose is because of the mind matrix. The mind attempts to make it complicated when it is actually quite simple. Your purpose is connected to your dream. 

Paulo Coelho, author of the book The Alchemist said the soul of the world is nourished by peoples happiness hese profound words that stuck 

When we are true to ourselves, we radiate confidence and attract genuine connections.

Working on your purpose is a transformative journey that can lead to a deeper sense of self-belief and fulfillment. When you align your actions with your true purpose, you create a powerful foundation for personal growth and success.

Self-belief grows organically as you dedicate yourself to meaningful work that resonates with your values and aspirations. By focusing on your purpose, you cultivate a sense of clarity, passion, and direction that fuels your confidence and strengthens your belief in yourself.

Embracing the process of working on your purpose not only empowers you to achieve your goals but also nurtures a resilient mindset that can weather challenges and setbacks. As you invest in pursuing what truly matters to you, self-belief blossoms naturally, serving as a guiding light on your path towards personal fulfillment and success.

6: Learn To Regulate Your Nervous System

Facts: To heal our nervous system we must first learn how to self soothe. When our nervous system is centred this will create a renewed sense of inner calm

If you are the type of person that suffers from anxiety your instincts may cause you to numb or suppress emotions that resemble anxiety.

This becomes exhausting as you find yourself consistently suspended in a fight or flight state of survival.

This could cause you to form an addictive personality and turn to things that soothe your overactive nervous system.

This may express itself as overthinking, neuroticism or escapism which may take the form of stimulants such as alcohol, drugs, caffeine.

Even conspiracists may find, that their quest to figure out the truth is really an elaborate and cunning form of escapism designed to check out from their reality.

7: Build Your Mental Toughness

Fact: Mental toughness is paramount for achieving any lofty goal or overcoming extreme hurdles. Nothing amazing happens inside our comfort zones.

The truth is fear is not only holding you back from your dreams, it’s paralyses you from even beginning the journey.

When your nerves start up, it becomes impossible to see beyond the fear. You unconciously tell yourself that failure is inevitable and you are afraid of disappointment or embarrasment.

If you are intimidated by anxiety and this will suppress your potential. When you are uncomfortable in your own body, this stokes the fires of insecurity.

Turn problems into opportunities to get better, by learning from your mistakes.  By adopting the mindset of always thinking what can this teach me? You can grow cultivate a growth mindset and turn every mistake into a step towards doing better.

Meet challenges head-on.  Every time you overcome a problem or face your fears you become stronger, more confident and grow inner strength.  It’s not only about getting through tough times it’s about making the best of them.

Face tough things confidently understanding challenging situations provide an opportunity to get better and stronger. 

8: Shift Your Perspective

Fact: Failure can be discouraging and demotivating, but it’s crucial to keep going and not give up on your goals.

Failure is a learning curve that is necessary to success. Embrace your failure’s as a part of your success story

The only reason that you may fear failure is because you have programmed yourself to believe that this is the inevitable outcome

If you fail, you need perseverance, not belief in yourself. You need to realize that succeeding the first time you try something is a rare achievement. 

Most people need to practice and practice and practice over and over and over again until they develop the skill and experience to succeed. That’s not belief, that’s persistence.

9: Take Baby Steps

Fact: Setting and achieving goals can boost your self-esteem and provide a sense of personal accomplishment

You build personal satisfaction when you set yourself small goals and you achieve them. These buiding blocks happen by sheer determination and the will power to stay consistent and strive.

If anxiety is inhibiting you, it’s important to note that with consistency the anxiety will slowly fade into a sense of confidence.

Simply think of a baby that’s learning how to walk. If they gave up at the first fall, then we would be a nation of crawling adults. Instead they get back up each time they fell down. This practice inevitably led to the upstanding group of homosapiens we are today.

This is the same approach that must be taken when it comes to believing in yourself. You’ve got to practice who you want to be in order to get good at it. 

10: Listen To Your Body

Your body knows what it is doing, and if you listen to it and cooperate sensibly, good health both physically as well as psychologically is the norm, not the exception

Believing in yourself means to “know thyself” which involves getting out of your head and into your body.

There is wisdom stored in your body and they are experienced through your emotions. If you’re an over thinker, you may be putting too much focus on the mental body.

This will have you spinning your wheels.

What messages is your body communicating to you?

Your hopes, dreams and even your fears can be felt in the emotional body.

Ask yourself where do you experience your emotions in your body? Become hyper-vigilant about which part of your body is hosting your saboteur.

Listening to your body in this way acts as a personal road map back to self whenever you become lost in the mind.

Embrace your feelings of doubt: Embracing means acknowledging your feelings which further leads to a willingness to making things better by initiating a change. It is healthy to honour our feelings and what they convey to us

The journey back to self can sometimes involve tuning out all dissenting voices, or distractions and listening attentively to your own emotions, at least in the initial stages of personal development.

It is all too easy to become distracted by outside noise, conversations that lead to nowhere, complaining, small talk… the frequency of static energy.

Learning to take a breath when you are confronted with your negative self talk can be challenging at first.

Soothing your insecurities when they surface is important to building a true sense of emotional strength.

Do not underestimate the power of fear, it may have sophisticated systems that are designed to outsmart you.

11: Personal Accountability: It’s Time to Tell a New Story

Fact: If you don’t like your story you have the power to rewrite it. At any stage and at any age, tell a new story.

It is very tempting to keep telling the story of who you were and why you came to be who you are today. Many people don’t take into consideration that they are the authors of their own story and forget to take personal accountability.

This is especially true when you get to know someone, as your relationship grows, people feel compelled to tell the story of their life in an effort to connect deeper.

The problem with this method is that most of this is told through the lens of disempowerment. You are disempowerment yourself whenever you tell your story through the lens of the victim.

In order to do something that you have never done, you have to become someone that you’ve never been. If you keep retelling the story of who you were is you are creating a similar future.

Real confidence comes from personal accountability. Decide your focus –  what’s worth your energy and what isn’t.

Paying attention to what’s important takes practice.  Teach your mind to overlook unnecessary stuff and to get hyper focused on your real goals and dreams.

Starve your distractions

• Social media scrolling
• Over thinking
• People pleasing
• Comparing yourself to others
• negatively focused people and/or news

Creating a new story for yourself involves consciously choosing to starve distractions that hinder your growth and progress. By focusing on what truly matters, you can craft a narrative that aligns with your goals and aspirations.

To begin this transformative journey, start by listing the distractions in your life. Identify the habits, behaviors, or influences that divert your attention away from your true path. By acknowledging these distractions, you can take proactive steps to minimize their impact and create space for personal growth.

As you starve these distractions, you open up opportunities to shape a new narrative for yourself. Embrace change, set meaningful goals, and cultivate habits that support your vision of who you want to become. With dedication and perseverance, you can rewrite your story and embark on a journey of self-discovery and transformation.

Take steps to reduce their effects which might mean reducing technology or saying no to things that don’t match what you believe in.

Focusing isn’t just a skill it’s a way of living.  By paying attention to what’s really important and ignoring other stuff you don’t just get more done, you find inner calm.

Defy your beliefs. Thank them for their misguided attempts at protecting you, and then tell a new story.

Learning to not believe everything you think is a skill, it takes a lot of practice, and it will change your life. By defying of your outdated beliefs and memories you can rewrite your new story.

12: Practice Self Care For Clear Thinking

Fact: Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally is crucial for building self-esteem.

The more you encourage your true authentic self, the easier it becomes to discern between the ego and the false self, and the more you believe in yourself. The difference is very subtle.

• Meditate – quantum mechanics states that meditation is a doorway into the world of innite possibilities. Don’t underestimate the power of a consistent meditation routine
• Exercise – healthy self confidence is affected by fitness. Working out improves not just your body but your mind gets a boost also
• Eat healthy – I know it sounds cliche but you literally are what you eat. Becoming conscious of what you eat and drink affects your mood. Eating well is equal to loving yourself.
• Limit social media – social media is a wonderful invention that connects people and keeps information flowing. However for the very same reasons, it can easily become overwhelming or lead to social comparison. Starve your distractions by limiting your time on social media
• Consume healthy content – this one’s a no brainer, you are what you eat, but equally, you are what you watch or listen to. Be conscious of what you include in your reality by watching things that inspire you
• Get into nature
• Gratitude – Saying thank you for the things you have automatically raises your vibration and puts you in an optimistic mood, especially when you consider that gratitude is lends itself to attracting abundance into your life

13: Strive To Be Consistent

Fact: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit

Once you have a goal that you want to reach, it will remain merely a wish unless you apply yourself consistently.

Doing something towards your goal everyday will make it happen. Consistency will ensure success.

Consistency is the self mastery that seperates those that succeed, from those that don’t.

Each time you push through your comfort zone or limiting beliefs, you unlock a new level.

There’s a reason why the saying, “fake it until you make it” became so popular. It’s because the very act of practicing being the type of person you want to become, will eventually lead you to becoming that person.

It’s also important to be patient with your results. Think of believing in yourself like a person trying to get in shape at the gym. There’s no magic potion for looking good and equally, there’s no magic bullet for self mastery. 

Much like working on your personal fitness, it takes commitment and consistency if you are to see any results. When you commit, you say yes to the journey of believing in yourself. 

14: Surround Yourself With Positive Influences

Fact: People inspire you or they drain you, pick them wisely

There’s a reason they say “show me your friends and I’ll show you who are”. We are influenced by the people we surround ourselves with and therefore it’s paramount to ensure that you are not poorly surrounded.

Personal accompishment can be hugely affected by the people in our circle, the mentors we choose as teachers and the type of content we consume.

To believe in yourself requires you to take inventory of who and what what you have been letting into your sphere of influence.

Sometimes when you are closely tied to those around you, it’s hard to see the ways that you are a negative on each other. Having a growth mindset may mean that you find yourself detaching from influences that don’t uplift you.

Surrounding yourself with positive influences can have a profound impact on your well-being and success.

Here is a list of ways you can cultivate positivity in your life:

• 1. **Choose Your Social Circle Wisely**: Surround yourself with people who uplift and support you, and distance yourself from those who bring negativity.
• 2. **Engage in Positive Activities**: Fill your time with activities that bring you joy and fulfillment, whether it’s pursuing a hobby, volunteering, or spending time in nature.
• 3. **Practice Gratitude**: Take time each day to reflect on the things you are grateful for, shifting your focus towards the positive aspects of your life.
• 4. **Limit Exposure to Negative Media**: Be mindful of the media you consume and how it affects your mood. Limit exposure to negative news or social media accounts that promote negativity.
• 5. **Read Inspirational Material**: Concern yourself with books, podcasts, or articles that inspire and motivate you to strive for personal growth and positivity.

By consciously surrounding yourself with positive influences, you can create a supportive environment that nurtures your well-being and helps you reach your full potential.

15: Know Yourself

Fact: Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom

It’s more than just knowing your  your strength and weaknesses you need to see how these connect with what you believe in. So much confidence comes from being true to yourself.

Understanding yourself takes time, patience and being honest with yourself.  Be prepared to face hard truths about yourself. Equally be  prepared to reap the rewards of your strength and skills that you never knew you had.

Accept that it’s all right not to know everything and to feel vulnerable sometimes.  Be okay with not being sure and knowing your limits.

Understand how strong your thoughts and beliefs are how you talk to yourself and what you believe about yourself as this impacts your confidence.

Self-awareness puts you in touch with your emotions.  Your emotions will tell you what you’re scared about and what you care about. 

16: Grow your humility

Fact: Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less

When trying to be confident it’s easy to start acting Too Proud but real confidence is not arrogant.  Being humble is an unnderrated quality.  A humble person knows that there’s always more to learn.

Humility means understanding your value and that you are not the most important person in the world.  This builds confidence but equally people respect and look up to humility. 

17: Know & Live By Your Personal Beliefs

Fact: Uncover your values and beliefs to help you create a fulfilling life.

Act on what you believe in daily which means being honest and true to yourself.  Don’t just talk, act.  Personal values are like  a compass that helps you choose to act and shape your life.

Figure out your main values and stick to living by them.  Living with integrity means doing and saying things that match your beliefs and values. Every time you stick to your values over choosing the easy way out you feel better about yourself. You prove to yourself that your beliefs are real and important in your life.

18 Self Reflection Quotes

Having a tremondous sense of sheer determination can change your life

The Take Home Message

Be patient with yourself, you are unravelling years of conditioning. It takes some time to gather courage and figure out how believe in yourself and all that you are.

You have trained yourself out of your own inner knowing, which means it may be a while before you can learn to trust your own instincts again.

Contrary to the way we have been programmed being hard on yourself is not the way to heal a lack of confidence, only self compassion can do that.

What do you do to procrastinate? What excuses do you make? How well do you convince yourself that you’re too busy to go for your goals, hopes and dreams? What avoidance tactics do you use? What dream have you buried deep beneath self doubt?

So stop worrying about belief and start doing. Get practising. Start small and just keep working at it a little bit at a time and you will start feeling more confidence as you start seeing positive results.

Congratulations for facing your fear, it takes courage to slay the dragon of self doubt, but the reward for doing so, is you get the gold.

Once you succeed, you will then have self-confidence and will be able to “believe in yourself.” But that comes way way after you’ve done 95% of the work necessary to get you that far.

Follow Your dreams Believe in Yourself and Don‘t Give Up!

This is a deep feeling or belief, and that needs to be an authentic expression of yourself. When you know for yourself that you are enough, you will have confidence, self-love, and worth, but that will be scored with persistence, dedication, and action.

• Investigate your life and analyze which parts of your life should be improved or changed, but you really need to do understand your position
• Be open to thought restructuring: Retrain your mind to yield more realistic and helpful thoughts which help you act in a purposeful manner. The automatic negative self-talk can be replaced with a more supportive self talk. This can be achieved through using positive statements in the form of affirmations regularly.
• Foster your sense of purpose: Channelise your energy and efforts towards cultivating a purpose which drives you. Chronic self doubt can be a result of a lack of purpose which can further lead to a host of negative feelings about oneself.
• Practise self compassion : When self doubt becomes a default, it clouds one’s perceptions about the positives. A healthy and powerful alternative to self doubt is self compassion which enables one to learn from mistakes instead of constantly reprimanding oneself.
• Stay away from comparisons : Comparisons deprive us of recognising our uniqueness and strengths. Healthy comparison can motivate one to achieve one’s goals. Try shifting your comparison to your own performance and make your victories count.