To start - a quote by Peter Barton from his book Not Fade Away (read more about Peter here: http://bit.ly/PeterBartonArticle):
“I acted brash and cocky, but secretly I feared that everyone knew more than I did. I asserted myself not out of real strength, but because I was afraid I’d otherwise be overlooked, that I would disappear. There’s no surprise in a truly brave person acting brave; it’s when the erstwhile coward rises to the occasion that we feel pride in our humanity. Similarly, it’s no great accomplishment for a genuinely confident person to seem confident. But I had to work at it every time. I had to suck up fear over and over again. (This, by the way, is a trait I seem to share with many of the most successful people I have met in business…)”
When I read this article - I had to sit and really absorb the last statement. The idea that people who were incredibly successful struggling with confidence was hard for me to believe and understand.
I figured that of course people who struggled financially or who struggled with being successful would struggle with confidence - but people who were millionaires?
As I processed it further - it was like a breath of fresh air rolling over me.
“Oh,” I thought, “it’s okay to struggle.”
It is so reassuring to not feel alone in the journey of learning to be confidence and brave.
And, by admitting that it has been a challenge - it is as if we as people reach out to each other - encouraging one another to keep risking, to keep being brave, and that we will have your back along the way.