Got Confidence? By Abimbola Abatta

Confidence is the ability to climb mountains without minding the difficulty. It is your ability to design success with failure. It is the conviction that you can make it in life even when it seems far-fetched. It is also the capacity to stay positive in the ocean of negativity.

I landed a job with a Print Media (Newspaper Company) last year. Prior to that time, I was working as a secondary school teacher. I had no experience whatsoever in Mass Communication or Journalism. Apart from the fact that I was an OBS member during NYSC and also a press club coordinator in my former place of work, I was literally inexperienced.

So, last year November, I received an email to come for a job interview. (I had randomly applied for the job online in August.) In fact, I missed the mail. I came back from work in the evening, and I discovered an email that had been sent as early as 4.00 am. At first, I felt the opportunity had passed me by. I saw a number that was attached to the mail, but I felt reluctant to dial it. I thought it was too late.

Eventually, I called the number, and to my surprise, I was told to come the next day. Afterwards, I became scared again. My heart began to palpitate; I began to doubt my ability. The only joy that I had was my love for writing. But I knew that news writing has its intricacies. It is quite different from the form of writings that I was used to.

To cut the story short, I went for the interview. I was armed by my writing ability. I had confidence in myself as a writer (poet and motivational writer), but not as a news writer. All thanks to Mr Google, I learnt some things before going. I got there, and I was told to write a news story from an interview. After two long hours, I finished the story. I wasn’t even sure about what I had written. I remember sitting there, waiting and praying that I would be selected. Eventually, I got the job.

I learnt something from that experience. Of course, the unseen hands of God was at work then, but if I had not believed in my ability as a writer, I wouldn’t be in the media world today. In spite of my lack of experience, I believed in myself. I had confidence that I had a chance of being employed. And I held on to that conviction.

If I had been scared of failure or of being rejected, trust me, I wouldn’t have taken that step. I was convinced enough to call the company whose interview I missed. I believed enough in my seemingly little ability, and I went for it.

The fact that you have confidence does not mean you won’t be scared. In fact, fear will threaten your confidence. But you must be strongwilled enough to do what you want to do regardless of those fears. I did the interview afraid. I was scared of going, yet I went there. And I got the job!

You build confidence by believing in yourself. You should also see failure as an opportunity to learn and re-design your success. You build confidence by seeing the good in every bad situation. You can also build confidence by equipping yourself with the right skills and tools.

If you are a seamstress, for instance, you must have certain tools such as the sewing machine, scissors, tape measure, thread, needle, and so on. Without these tools, you can’t sew anything. But if you have access to these tools, you will sew your client’s clothes with confidence.

If you are a writer too, you must be a good communicator, and you can’t be a good communicator if you lack communication skills. You must understand the concept of creativity, how words are combined to convey meaning. You must also be proficient in the rules of grammar (the grammar of whichever language you want to use). You must also understand the five Ws and H of writing amongst others.

To gain confidence in any profession, you must be equipped with the right skills. As you gain mastery in your skills, your confidence takes a leap as well. Be intentional about building your confidence because it pushes you to do more. It gives you the way forward in life. Remember, confidence is the assurance that your goals are feasible, and you are prepared to work towards it.

What’s your take-home from this post?

By the way, have you bought my e-book “21 CONFIDENCE PILLS?” slide into my inbox for your copy. It’s just N1000.

Have a thrilling Tuesday!

©Abimbola F. Abatta