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Jaxie Adams

Professor Ferrara

ENGL 1001

7 May 2024

Self-Confidence: The Key Component to Success

Individuals always wonder what the secret to success is. A baseball player could have

great batting skills, but repeatedly strike out under pressure. A great baker could make a dry,

unenjoyable chocolate cake at a baking competition. What holds these individuals back from a

great hit or tasty cake? The answer is actually quite simple: self-confidence. Without it, the

players in the outfield could be standing there all day and the judges of the baking competition

could never get a slice of what they are looking for. Self-confidence is the most crucial

component to achieving success, as revealed by grasping a correct understanding of self-

confidence, The Confidence Effect, the value of positive thinking, and the life-changing

perspective of facing adversity.

Understanding what it really means to possess self-confidence serves as a guide to

success. According to Dr. Alan Zimmerman, “the positive communication pro,” those who lack

self-confidence often falsely associate it with negative connotations, including pride, conceit, and

arrogance. Instead, “Self-confidence is a quiet strength or a calm power inside of you that says,

‘I’ll be okay’ and ‘I can do it’” (Zimmerman). Self-confidence reassures an individual of their

skills and their ability to overcome difficult situations. It is a positive voice inside of one’s head

that prevents them from holding back throughout many aspects of their life, including

relationships, tasks, and obstacles. When people start appreciating self-confidence for its true

purpose, they can take on this self-assured mentality and quickly find themselves flourishing.
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This is evident in the results of a recent survey I conducted in April 2024. 100% of survey takers

credit self-confidence to their past accomplishments and successes. In addition to developing a

true understanding of the term “self-confidence,” Zimmerman explains the concept of the act-as-

if principle and how it can be used to achieve self-confidence. He expands on author Bob

Proctor’s message, that is “‘It’s high time that you begin to tap into the beautiful truth that, if you

can see it in your head, you can hold it in your hand’” (Zimmerman). In other words, all

successes have to start from somewhere. The actual visualization of success comes first.

Moreover, if a success-seeker expects themselves to fail, odds are that they probably will. The

road to success is not always straight, and sometimes will require perseverance. Henry

Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote that “‘Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only

knock long enough and hard enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody’”

(Zimmerman). Therefore, if an individual hopes to succeed, they cannot simply give up in the

middle of their journey. Persistence is essential, and that is only produced through confident

thinking. Every time somebody chooses to not give up on themselves, they are one step closer to

achieving their goals.

The Confidence Effect exemplifies the vital role that self-confidence plays in success. The

Confidence Effect states that confidence stems from our core, which is the home of our strength,

voice, and attachment to ability (Killelea 4). In her book The Confidence Effect: Every Woman’s

Guide to the Attitude That Attracts Success, Grace Killelea explains that when we doubt our

capabilities, “we miss out on building the relationships and workplace brand that can put us

where we want to go and give us the confidence we need to take risks, believe in ourselves, and

perform to our potential” (5). Therefore, if somebody’s confidence is lacking, they are

disconnected from themselves and their abilities; This can hold people back from showcasing
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their strengths and reaching their highest performance. Though confidence is a central tool for

building success, it is important to remember that confidence alone does not create success.

Ability is required as well; “Just like at the gym, if you work only on your core and you don’t

build up your cardio strength, then you won’t be fit overall. Similarly, if you’re confident but

lack important qualities such as business acumen and the knowledge of how to build

relationships, you do not have what it takes to lead” (Killelea 7). A balance of competence and

confidence, therefore, is the perfect recipe for success. If one is missing, success will not be

obtainable. Therefore, those that argue that self-confidence does not work alone are correct.

The power of a positive mindset proves how individuals can flourish by believing in

themselves. Melvin Powers, author of Dynamic Thinking: The Technique for Achieving Self-

Confidence and Success, proposes that the way we act, and therefore succeed or fail, is an

outcome directly related to our thinking (21). According to Powers, “One is a product of one’s

thinking…The important thing is to sincerely believe in yourself” (21). That being the case,

thoughts are extremely powerful. Thinking as an optimist, therefore, will lead an individual

down the road to success. On the other hand, thinking as a pessimist will lead them down the

road to failure. When individuals believe in themselves with an optimistic mindset, they embrace

self-confidence. Positively focusing on the present moment calls for future victories (Powers 35).

Powers suggests to “Forget about what has happened. The future is as bright as you want it to be.

Smile with life and life will smile at you. You can control your fate through the use of these

mental pictures and positive suggestions” (35). Focusing on one’s past failures will not allow

them to attain wins in the future. The past is the past, which cannot be fixed. However,

developing a growth mindset can allow individuals to learn from their failures and keep their
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chins up. Powers discusses this idea of karma; If an individual has a positive outlook on life, they

will start seeing positive results.

Self-confidence is needed to face adversity and hardship, ultimately setting oneself up for

future success. Through self-confidence at a young age, Bill Gates was able to find his passion

(Umoh). In a Q&A with ABC.net, Gates says that self-confidence lets people “try out new

things” (Umoh). Oftentimes, people struggle to realize their purpose. Self-discovery can be a

challenging process, but much more helpful with the tool of self-confidence. The more confident

one is with themselves, the more opportunities they will have to discover what they love and

want to do with their lives. When Gates was thirteen years old, he realized that he loved

computers and software — and he credits this discovery to the confidence that he held within

himself (Umoh). Gates also mentioned that failure is needed to reach success (Umoh). When

accompanied with self-confidence, failure can be much easier to experience. One may encounter

experiences of hardship on their road to success. When Altair — the first commercial computer

— was announced, “Gates and his college friend Paul Allen reached out to Altair’s makers and

told them that they had created a programming language that could run on their computer. The

two offered to demonstrate their work to the company’s directors” (Umoh). In reality, Gates and

his friend did not create a programming language. When Altair wanted to see their product, they

worked hard to create a code from scratch — and through hard work and high morale, it turned

out to be successful (Umoh). By using the “fake it until you make it” method, Gates was able to

achieve success (Umoh). With his self-confidence, Gates persevered through an extremely

challenging task. As a result, he succeeded. Gates is now one of the richest people in the world.

Success can look different for everybody. For Bill Gates, it was creating a detailed

computer program. For a baseball player, it could be hitting a grand slam to win a championship
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game. It might even be baking a delectable chocolate cake to perfection. Similarly, self-

confidence can be achieved through several unique ways. When asked what strategies they take

to build and maintain self-confidence, survey respondents had diverse answers. One response

reads, “Look good, feel good. If I dress for success I feel like I can accomplish more than if I

dress in sweatpants.” Another respondent wrote, “I constantly remind myself of my strengths and

focus on developing and improving my mindset to better my overall life. Positive affirmations

are really helpful as well.” There are so many techniques for individuals to gain their own self-

confidence; The key is to just feel good. According to my survey results, 90% of respondents

agree that a lack of self-confidence has set them back from taking a risk or pursuing an

opportunity. These risks that people tend to shy away from could have the ability to change their

lives for the better. Without counting on themselves, individuals can lose profound opportunities.

A dash of self-confidence can go a long way.

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(Nagiev, 2021)

Works Cited

Killelea, Grace. The Confidence Effect: Every Woman’s Guide to the Attitude That Attracts

Success. AMACOM, 2021.

Nagiev, R. (2021). iStock. photograph, Getty Images. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from

https://www.istockphoto.com/essential/vector/strong-woman-concept-gm1337683229-4

8489524.

Powers, Melvin. Dynamic Thinking: The Technique For Achieving Self-Confidence and Success.

Hauraki Publishing, 2015.

Umoh, Ruth. “Why Bill Gates Says You Need Confidence at a Young Age to Achieve Success.”

CNBC, 24 Oct. 2017, www.cnbc.com/2017/10/24/why-bill-gates-says-you-need-

confidence-to-achieve-success.html#:~:text=Leadership-,Why%20Bill%20Gates%20says

%20you%20need%20confidence,young%20age%20to%20achieve

%20success&text=Self%2Dconfidence%20is%20a%20vital,according%20to

%20billionaire%20Bill%20Gates. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Zimmerman, Alan. “Self-Confidence Is the Bedrock of Success.” Dr. Alan Zimmerman, CSP:

The Positive Communication Pro, www.drzimmerman.com/tuesdaytip/practicing-

success-confidence-and-self-esteem. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.