The Edge

A story is told of a business executive who was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly, an old man appeared before him. “I can see that something is troubling you,” he said. After listening to the executive’s woes, the old man said, “I believe I can help you.”He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his had saying, “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at this time.” Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000 signed by John D. Rockerfeller, one of the richest men in the world at the time! “I can erase my money worries in an instant!” he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought. With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed check. At the agreed upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.I’m so glad I caught him!” she cried. “I hope he wasn’t bothering you. He’s always escaping from the rest home and telling people he’s John D. Rockerfeller.” And she led the old man away by the arm.

The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he had been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him.Suddenly, he realized that it wasn’t the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

What’s the moral of this story? Self-confidence gives one the competitive edge.

When you have confidence in yourself you feel like you can do just about anything, that the sky’s the limit, in fact the sky’s not the limit because there is no limit! During these wonderful moments you don’t fear anything or anyone. You can achieve the impossible and outdo your competitors.

Without self-confidence you can feel completely overwhelmed, like a kapenta swimming among sharks! You doubt yourself and question your abilities and you just don’t feel as strong or powerful. But with it you have an edge over your counterparts because self-confidence is that intangible factor, a "cousin" to PMA, positive mental attitude that keeps a person working hard regardless of how many times they may fail or how many obstacles get thrown in their path.

Now, unfortunately we are not all lucky enough to be given a false check by an old man disguised as Warren Buffet but fear not, self-confidence is an attribute we can all develop and I’ll show you how.

AFFIRMATIONS – Serena Williams, a tennis legend and winner of 20 Grand Slams and counting believes in the power of affirmations. In her book, On The line she shares how often she would tell herself such as, "I'm a Queen!", and "All i know how to do is win!" She always has post-it notes written on her tennis bag to motivate her and inspire confidence in herself throughout her tennis matches.Like her, everyday repeat the words “I can do it” over and over to build your self-confidence.

ACTION – There is no substitute for hard work. If you’ve done your homework you have a right to feel confident. If you’ve regularly slacked off, trying to feel confident is a joke and it’s on you! Do everything possible in your power, and then do a little more! Confidence comes from knowing you’ve worked harder than your competitors. Consistent action leads to better results, which in turn leads to greater self-confidence. They say every toastmasters journey begins with the first speech and the more speeches you do, the better you get and the better you get, the more self-confidence you get, and the more self-confidence you get, the more speeches you do and so this progresses in an upward spiral. Where you will end is at the top! Richard Branson, a successful self-made attributes his success to Action. Just Do It.

ATTITUDE – An optimistic attitude, a positive one, indeed a winning attitude. Get in the habit of dwelling on the positive or looking for the upside of things. Be positive! You’ll feel better about yourself and perform at a higher level. One of the ways we can become optimists is by surrounding ourselves with positive people. A positive attitude, like a smile, is contagious and can give us an uncommon self confidence. The result of that is the accomplishment of uncommon goals. Become a no-limit person.

Indeed, as Helen Keller said, Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. Self-confidence is the key to success. It is the mark of a champion. It gives one the courage and focus to go after ones goals despite the obstacles they may face. Self-confidence can motivate you to attempt and accomplish the impossible. Begin today to practice the three A’s of self confidence, Affirmation, Action and Attitude and you will surely have the Edge.