confidence

Cultivating Confidence

confidence
Listen to Miles Davis blow.



It’s clear the man has trained. He learned the basics, developed discipline, practiced with many people and performed for many more.



Some might say Miles was a genius. Maybe. It’s possible. When I listen, what I hear is a man compelled – not to get it right, but to get it out. For me, it is the sound of utter confidence.



Think of confidence as a kind of improvisation. It takes courage, trust and playfulness. We do it all the time to some extent. Every day at some level we are improvising. You could say to improvise is to not know and do it anyway.



So what gives? Why do so many of us deal with low self-esteem, a feeling of I’m not worth it, a sense of general confusion as to life’s meaning? We must understand that confidence—true confidence—is a kind of faith. It is seeing what is happening right now with absolute certainty. Confidence like this can never be destroyed.



Then the question might be, how do we cultivate confidence? You can fake it. Puff your chest out. Overarticulate. Walk fast. Laugh loud. Use big words. Nod and smile. You can certainly fake it. But the way to true confidence is through an active process of surrendering. We must give up our expectations, our dreams, our hopes, even our fears in our life, and enter the reality of our situation. We let go of what we want. By giving up, giving it away, and letting go constantly, we become this open vessel. In this way, we can become familiar with the face of disappointment. This is very important. Why? Because when we fully accept our illusions about ourselves, then confidence naturally arises from what is. Embracing disappointment is a very important tool to cultivating our inner light.



So what is confidence, then? Confidence is trust in the wisdom of the body and razor-sharp clarity of the moment. It is a surrender to everything that came before and will come. It is a living expression of openness. You can uncover your true confidence. But first you must give in.

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