1. Act with Integrity - Strive to always do the right thing, not the easy thing. Try to make right decisions and take right actions from the very beginning. But if you make a mistake, and we all do, admit it, apologize if necessary, learn from it and allow yourself to move on. By acting with integrity you strengthen your reputation with yourself and others. This allows them to respect you, and enables you to deepen your respect for yourself.
2. Polish and Pamper - Consistent daily cleanliness and grooming is par for the course for most of us, but what have you done to amp up your image recently? If you're not receiving compliments on your hair, makeup, or style of dress on a regular basis, then maybe it's time for a makeover. You'll be amazed at how your attitude, and confidence level, changes when you're devoting a little extra time and effort in the image department.
3. Promote Positivity - Learn to recognize when your thoughts are veering toward the negative and replace those energy zappers with new positive statements. It will not only lift your energy, but the energy of those people in your life who mean so much to you.
4. Clarify Your Goals - Kurek Ashley says, "If you haven't written your goal down, then you don't have a goal." Getting clear about what you want, and how you are going to get it, not only provides focus for your life, but allows you to feel centered and confident about the direction your life is taking.
5. Practice Gratitude - We won't receive more until we learn to appreciate and take care of what we've already been given. And choosing to focus on all that we have already been blessed with reminds us that life has given us many wonderful things and allows us to be confident in the fact that it will continue to do so. Start each morning by making a list of things you are thankful for and see where your energy level is in a week.
6. Give - We never feel better about who we are then when we are serving others. Give willingly - whether it's money, time or energy - and you will be pleasantly surprised at the benefits your reap in your own life.
7. Follow Your Passion - What is your passion? What do you love? What leaves you feeling on top of the world? Do it! And do it often! Passion is the life force at the center of our being. Be passionate about what you do. If you don't love it, why are you doing it?
8. Follow Through on Your Commitments - Do you have a problem with over-committing and then not being able to follow through on all you've said you would do? We trust ourselves most when we do what we say we will do, and so do others. And trust in ourselves is the basis of self-confidence, so learn to say no to those things that are not in-line with your top priorities and goals, and follow through on the commitments you do make.
9. Practice Stillness - In our "fast-food" society it's easy to set our minds and bodies on auto-pilot, coasting through life disconnected from our true selves. How can we be confident in who we are if we're not connected with who we are? Take time each day to reconnect. Spiritual study, prayer, meditation, or journaling are all good places to start.
10. Embrace Risk - No I don't mean walk a tight-rope without a net or bungee jump off the nearest bridge. I mean stop being afraid to live! Allow yourself to experience new things, feel your feelings instead of trying to drown them out with food or drink or whatever your current "coping" mechanism is, tell the people you love why you love them, go for your goals and reach for your dreams, let yourself be imperfect, make mistakes, fail, and be okay with all of it! Because you are perfect just as you are, and life is too short not to live it to the fullest! Take action!
