New blog for my more serious posts.

My Motivational Blog – http://365DaysOfMotivation.wordpress.com

Overconfidence?

Is there such a thing? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds”
– Albert Einstein.

This quote has played a very big role in my own self esteem and can really be very positive, while being very egotistical and counter-productive at the same time.

I often reflect back to Bill Gates when he decided to drop out of Harvard in order to pursue his dreams. Imagine what his guidance councilor’s reaction to this was? I have so many different scenarios playing in my head, most of which involves the councilor calling Bill F-ing crazy, insane and absolutely idiotic, not necessarily in that order. Bill Gates, and anyone who walks the halls of Harvard, is pretty much guaranteed a six figure income right off the bat. Yet, Bill decided to take the chance, follow his own heart and do his own thing. Today, he is the most financially secure person in the world.

But of course, we have to be realistic. We always hear about the amazing success stories but there are probably 10 failures for every victory. So how can one balance out between having our heads in the clouds but our feet on the ground?

Personally, I’ve always leaned toward taking the chance. Every mistake you make is one that you will learn from. Every mistake you make is one less mistake you will repeat.

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one”
–Elbert Hubbard.

Yes this may sound too aggressive and outlandish, and yes it is so much easier said than done, especially when you consider having to invest your life savings into your new widget. But I’m not talking about gambling when the odds are stacked in the favor of the casino, no, not gambling, but taking calculated risks in life. There are ways to plan things out, to stack the odds in your favor.

The best way to point yourself in the right direction is to do EVERYTHING you can to ensure success. There are so many other factors that are out of your hands, and those are meant to be left alone. However, aspects that you can control should be researched, planned, understood, structured, studied, debated, marinated, contemplated, practiced, innovated, re-contemplated and any other buzzword you could think of! Oh, and do come up with a plans A, B, C and D.

So far, you need to have confidence and believe in yourself then do everything you can to head towards the right direction. What’s next? What *now?* (*refer back to first blog post.)

“Now”, you have to listen.

Listening is a virtue. It’s so easily said, so frequently misused and too often forgotten.

Overconfidence only happens, when one forgets to listen. When one tunes out everyone else and only hears what you want to hear. You don’t have to agree or disagree with anyone, but you have to listen.

How do you listen? Well you need to be patient with the people who give you advice, but be careful whose advice you take.

There’s one more really, really important thing I need to tell you, which would pretty much make everything I said make so much more sense… it is the key to balancing your confidence….. it is something that one of my greatest mentors had taught me…. Umm it goes something like….. ummmm….. I can’t really remember it….. ahhhhh I wasn’t really listening….

“NOW,” that’s what you have, that’s what you should focus on and that’s what you should cherish. When push comes to shove, all you have is “now,” and that’s all that really matters…. which is why you really need to be aware of your surroundings and more importantly, yourself.

There is no start, there is no finish, just “now.” just me, this computer, and my thoughts. So what can you and I do with “now?”

One of the first steps towards achieving success is thinking like you cannot fail, thinking that you already are successful. But I’m not just talking about an estranged fantasy. I’m talking about truly believing in yourself. You have to be able to see the greatness in yourself that no one else can see. So “now” the question is, how do you find this self esteem and how to you make good use of it?

Well first of all, you have to realize that success is just another word that can be very different from person to person. What one finds to be successful, may be a complete and utter failure for another. That’s when you need to realize that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. You need to take out the trash, the trash inside your head that worries too much about everyone else. The trash that makes you forget that the only thing that matters is “now,” and right “now” you are thinking way too much about what everyone else thinks.

“Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.”

So go ahead, clear your mind, close your eyes and continue reading…. no wait… close your eyes after you read…

“Now,” define success for yourself. Is it a big house with that infinity pool? Or perhaps that Bugatti that drives 253 mph? Or is is having quality friends and a tight knit family? Whatever it is, act like you can achieve it! Better yet, act like you already achieved it.

Try this, go to a bar or a club and start celebrating with your friend/s. Sit by the bar and just celebrate. When someone asks you why you are celebrating, tell them you just made your first million (or whatever your dream is). They will definitely ask you why and how. Tell them vaguely that you did it “one step at a time.” Or you can tell them exactly what steps you took to make your first million. After they try to get you to buy them a drink and the crowd diminishes, you’ll realize that what you just said, isn’t really that far fetched. You’ll realize that you only talked about the positive things, about how you made, or will make, your first million. There will be no barriers, no glass ceilings, no obstacles. Just you, here and “now” with your thoughts and dreams.

“Vision without Action is a day dream. Action without Vision is a nightmare.”

After envisioning your dreams, “now” you have to take action. There is no starting or stopping, only doing. So go out there and do something!

From the movie “Peaceful Warrior“:

Where are you?
Here.
What time is it?
Now.
What are you?
This moment.