“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV).

Having confidence in yourself is a first step towards success.  Without true confidence you might get some hit and miss successes but sustained success will be difficult to achieve. Here are a few tips to help you gain the confidence to succeed.

1. Check Your Thoughts. Surely you’ve heard that how you think affects your attitude but have you thought about the importance of understanding how to think to build your attitude for business success? If you hold negative thoughts about yourself on a regular basis you won’t be able to build your confidence. Plus, you’re denying the goo things God has done within you to keep you confident and moving towards your goals. As the scripture says, God’s Spirit give you a mind that is not time, but has power, love and self-discipline. Do you track your thoughts on a regular basis to keep yourself positive? Confidence starts with self-thoughts that start you on the road to building lasting self-confidence.

2. Forgive and Forget. Everyone messes up in life but self-forgiveness is one of the toughest things to do.  You don’t have to live in regret for mistakes you’ve made for the rest of your life. The bible says “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Roman 8:1 ESV). Don’t let past failures hold you back from moving forward in your life calling with confidence. Forgive yourself and do what you can to make what was wrong, right again.  Then move on and turn what happened into a life lesson that lets you know what not to do again.  Forgive yourself for the mistake but remember the lesson learned.

3. Respect Your Purpose.  Do you realize your were born with a purpose in life.  That means you have something to share with the world. The part of the world you were born to affect might be just one other person, or you might inspire a whole nation through broad public service. When you gain clarity about the purpose you were born to serve, you have to pursue it with confidence. Stop worrying about your present position, but think about the bigger picture of why you’re here and your confidence will start to grow.

4. Enhance Your Image. Do you have concerns about your appearance? Does how you look steal your confidence away?  Then do something about your image. It’s easy to find website that give you ideas for looking stylish and beautiful even if you don’t have an expensive wardrobe. Being creative and showing your individuality and uniqueness as a Christian business woman gives glory to the Lord. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on clothes to find out your style. You can find pieces for a wardrobe in different places even consignment or thrift stores to mix and match with pieces you already own. Learn to select by quality, style, and a good fit.  That’s a great start to building a more confident image.

5. Don’t Take it Personally.  Things happen that might hurt your feelings; but it’s important to not take things personally all of the time.  Some things are going to occur if you’re around or not.  You might feel slighted but if you hadn’t been there, would the same thing have happened to someone else?  If so, don’t take the situation personally.  Learning that it’s not always about you is important to be able to get over problems and move on to the next life event.

6. Say “No” to a Bad Day.  Don’t let other people spoil your day. When you let others have control over whether or not you will have a good day, you give them power over your emotions.  For instance, what if a person walks into your workplace in a bad mood?  Don’t let that become your problem or allow that person to affect your mood.  Instead of letting that person’s attitude provoke you into saying or doing something you’ll regret, be the one to say something positive to help that person see things differently. Who knows, you might say or do exactly what that person needs at that moment to help her get through a hurtful or difficult situation. Keep you mind on positive things and consider how you can deal with the situation in a way that will make things better for everyone involved.

7. Keep Going. Sure things get tough, that’s a part of life. In fact, the more you learn to deal with tough situations in life the better you’ll be at facing difficult issues without letting them take control of your life. This increases your skills, builds your list of life lessons and enhances your ability to make good decisions. You can only get to this higher level of confidence if you keep going and don’t give up with the going gets tough. Get the mentoring you need to go through tough times without getting shaken off your course. Find out how others have made hard decisions and seek the wisdom of mentors to help you grow. Just keep going until you reach your goals and you will find that you have the confidence to succeed.

“So we can confidently say, ‘“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”’ Hebrews 13:6