I used to think that being confident meant feeling sure of yourself. Then I would feel nervous before games or doubt myself in moments of pressure and get frustrated. As much as I practiced and prepared for competition, I never felt totally sure of myself. Which made me feel like something was wrong with me. I never thought that confidence actually might be different than I thought.
Confidence comes from a Latin word, “confidere,” meaning “to trust.” It does not refer to a feeling of self-assurance, rather it is referring to a deep-seated belief that chooses to trust in the face of uncertainty. This makes so much more sense in the context of being a competitive athlete. If you are a competitive athlete, then aren’t you always trying to push the boundaries of what’s possible? Wouldn’t this mean that you are constantly facing newness, uncertainty, and discomfort? How can you constantly have a feeling of self-assurance if you it’s new? How can you be completely sure of yourself when things are out of control? Those feelings won’t be there. But what will?
The development of a trust from within yourself. This is what confidence is about. The seeds of confidence are planted when we say yes to circumstances that make us feel insecure. They are watered and given sunlight by the acceptance of our doubts. Ultimately, confidence is grown when we trust ourselves enough to fully commit to being the person we want to be. It is not about feeling totally sure of ourselves or having a list of accomplishments to validate our credibility. It is about trusting that there is more to us than we think, especially when we feel like an imposter and are out of our element. This is where we are called to be because this is where trust is necessary.
Trust that there is more – the best is yet to come.
