When faced with certain situations in our lives, we usually need a lot of confidence to get through them, like an examination, or an interview, sometimes even for important meetings at work, etc. Life will always bring us unexpected changes and challenges that repeatedly test our resilience and adaptability. We need to develop the confidence that, ‘Yes, come what may, I am ready to face it’.

Yes, come what may, I am ready to face it’

Sometimes we lack this much-needed confidence in ourselves. Why? The first thing that comes to my mind is - preparation. When we have put in our hundred percent and done the necessary preparation from our end, we feel confident. Did Arjuna feel a lack of confidence while facing his opponents and shooting his arrows? His arrows never missed their target. That was the kind of training and preparation he had put into perfecting the art of archery. The greater our preparation, the less anxious we feel, and confidence builds.

Another thing which comes in the way of confidence is our focus on the result. We fear how the result is going to turn out and doubt our ability to meet the desired result. Our mind is now focused on: "What will happen? Will I be appreciated? What if the intended result is not achieved? How will I face failure and the undue baggage that comes along with it? Do I have the necessary capabilities?” When we find ourselves swimming in this mire of unregulated thoughts and feelings, our confidence takes a toll, and the result will appear to recede further and further away from us. So how to drop this idea of result? We have to focus on the present and do the best we can in this moment.

Another reason for us to lose confidence is - others. When we start focusing on others, we compare. This has a direct impact on our confidence levels. Whenever someone outperforms us, our confidence dwindles, and when we are able to perform better our confidence increases. In the second scenario, even though our confidence does increase, it is only transitory. Because the moment someone else does better than us, our confidence again goes down. Everyone has a different journey, life situations, emotional baggage, conditioning, etc. Is it then fair to compare ourselves with others? If we look around, we are always going to find someone better than us. How then are we going to feel confident about ourselves? The best approach is to compare ourselves with our own previous version. When this is our reference for comparison, we are always going to feel motivated to do better and better. Even a little bit of progress will help us move forward with confidence, commitment, and enthusiasm. We go on becoming a better version of ourselves.

The best approach is to compare ourselves with our own previous
version. When this is our reference for comparison, we are always
going to feel motivated to do better and better. Even a little bit of
progress will help us move forward with confidence, commitment, and
enthusiasm. We go on becoming a better version of ourselves.

While we go on preparing ourselves, putting in the required effort, and steering clear from the anticipation of the result and comparison with others, how do we develop the confidence required to face the different curveballs that life throws at us? We must first connect with the self.

When we are connected within, in harmony with ourselves, we find the confidence to make life decisions with clarity and conviction. Meditation is a beautiful tool to dive within and harness our inner potential, strength, and confidence. To a meditative mind, everything appears crystal clear, without any haze. One is able to develop the ability to discern and choose with wisdom. So, when we are aligned with our inner self, we get guidance from within and find the confidence to make important choices and decisions in life.

When we are connected within, in harmony with ourselves, we find the
confidence to make life decisions with clarity and conviction.
Meditation is a beautiful tool to dive within and harness our inner
potential, strength, and confidence.

While this harmony within, helps us stride forward with confidence in ourselves, it is still, to some degree, imperfect. Why have we not attained complete confidence? Despite all our efforts, there is a human tendency to worry about the future.

So how to handle this worry about the future? While it is normal and natural, we also need to be optimistic about the future. Whatever we can do, we do with dedication, sincerity, and commitment. If we drop all that is not in our control or scope of action, our baggage of worries will significantly reduce. When we are thus continually working and honing ourselves, our attention will move away from unwarranted thoughts and worries. As the famous saying goes, “Energy flows where attention goes”.

When we do the best we can, with all our dedicated efforts, a sense of contentment dawns. We cannot ask for more. Of course, we can continue to better ourselves and that would be a never-ending journey that we patiently navigate. But in the present, in the now, we find absolute contentment. This acceptance of ourselves, our life situations, and our sustained efforts to better ourselves, leads to the seed of contentment. This seed grows into a tree and slowly and eventually there is infinite contentment that is present, along with our efforts to continue to better ourselves.

When we do the best we can, with all our dedicated efforts, a sense of
contentment dawns. We cannot ask for more. Of course, we can continue
to better ourselves and that would be a never-ending journey that we
patiently navigate. But in the present, in the now, we find absolute
contentment. This acceptance of ourselves, our life situations, and
our sustained efforts to better ourselves, leads to the seed of
contentment.

When this tree of contentment blooms one day into a forest of contentment, and our hearts carry this peace, tranquility, and joy with who we are and who we become, with no demands from anybody, including ourselves, we truly feel confident. There is absolute confidence in us, even without the awareness of it. We emulate confidence, that is birthed by our acceptance, contentment, and sustained as well as continuous efforts to become better and better.

The secret I want to share today is how to accelerate this process of developing the seed of contentment in us. We should make our hearts purer and purer, getting rid of complexities and impurities. The Heartfulness system offers a method for this - the evening Rejuvenation process, or the Heartfulness Cleaning method. As you make your hearts and minds lighter and pure, everything becomes simple and joyful. Confidence is, but a by-product of a highly refined existence.

Originally published on Speaking Tree: https://www.speakingtree.in/article/i-am-ready