Confidence or Determination?
Holy Cow, how did it get to be November, it seems time is moving at the speed of light these days!
Confidence or Determination?
I had an interesting conversation with a wonderful group of ladies that I meet with weekly about confidence. It was one of those ah ha moments that just arrive in front of you. So many people, when asking or talking about my business, have indicated how "lucky" I am to be independent. And I have to say, I do feel very lucky, and grateful and fortunate and a whole slew of other emotions when I think of all that has happened over the last 8 years in my work as an independent coaching/training specialist. My reply to that statement has always been, "Ya know, what I'm realizing is the harder I work, the luckier I am!". But as I sit here today pondering this conversation I had with my peers, and thinking about the years gone by, I’m not convinced that it has been about working hard.
In this conversation, the word self-confidence came up, and I do think I am a confident woman today but honestly, I haven’t given myself much choice and I certainly didn't start out that way. Growing up, I didn’t live at home when I was 16, I left school and worked at McDonalds and I rode the school bus to work (the bus driver knew I didn't go to school and let me ride the bus anyway #kindness) so that I could earn some money. A couple of years later, I moved back home, went back to school and graduated. Another couple of years after that, I was working in retail and discovered that retail was never going to take care of me; so I went to university but had to take off year 3 because I couldn’t afford to go back, even with a student loan it was going to be impossible. I worked that entire year to save enough money to return. Everyone I knew was so concerned that I wouldn’t go back to school and that would be the end of my degree.. but not so, I saved the money, went back and graduated 2 years later.
All of this to say, that all I went through, had nothing to do with confidence, instead, it had to do with survival, and I believe today, it had a lot to do with determination. I became very comfortable being uncomfortable, and said "yes" to things/opportunities that otherwise I might have said "no" to. Well, I said yes to some "not so great" things too, but we’ll leave that conversation for another day! 😊
Looking back, I don’t think hard work was the answer, I think the willingness to try, the determination to not give up and the desire to do great work is what made things happen.
At the end of the day, I believe we all have it in us, this ability to be/feel great; to find what we love and to excel at it. It might mean getting a little uncomfortable and making determination your middle name, but it can absolutely be done. Mindset, resilience, faith, determination and perseverance are all attributes I learned over time.
I write this today, because if you are not feeling fulfilled, purposeful or valued, then maybe you need to get uncomfortable. This is what I help people just like you to achieve, and I’ve been helping others for a long time with strategies that make the journey just a little less uncomfortable.
What do past clients have to say?
"I knew I wanted (needed) to make a change, but I was afraid, and getting in my own way. Cathy helped me better understand myself, which gave me the tools/confidence required to improve my life. The result: I just had my 1 year anniversary in my new position that has presented a lot of fun challenges and opportunities to learn and grow. It feels like a better fit and I've found peace, which was definitely lacking before. Cathy is a coach, counselor, and friend. She has all of the techniques and strategies necessary and the unique ability to say the right thing at the right time. Perhaps more importantly, she is a wonderful and sincere person who will earn your trust quickly and will remain personally invested in you."
EH Florida USA
