Confidence

a feeling of certainty; trust in one's own ability (Oxford dictionary)

When do we feel confident?
How do we improve our confidence?
Is over-confident good?

I notice that children who get often praised are more confident than those who don't. One of the things I learnt about dealing with children is to praise them whenever opportunity arises. Even if it is a small matter and does not seem to be perfect, children should be praised but not criticised. I also think that it is an act of love to praise. When we are in a loving environment we feel confident to act naturally, without any fear.

When I was young I overheard my mother responding to somebody who said that I sang beautifully by saying that I couldn't sang harmoniously with others. Needless to say, that incident stays with me and makes me doubtful about my ability to sing. Keeping track of our achievement can help us to improve our confidence and be positive of our future. However, achievement need not necessarily be tangible.

Over-confident at least, is better than under-confident -it is so much easier to survive.