How to Grow Confidence in Today's Uncertain World

You never know how your actions today will influence tomorrow. But you can be certain that until your death, tomorrow will come. You cannot know what will happen outside yourself tomorrow, but you can know with certainty that you can't control most, if not all, of what happens outside yourself. You only have control over what's within yourself right now, your inner world. 

Like so many others I've been at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. My part-time job dried up, my networking meetings all went online and any reason I had to leave my home, which I often lamented about, is gone. I'm spending more time with myself—in a good way.

I'm not overeating, engaging in the old life-long habit of stuffing my feelings of fear back inside even though both my husband and I are collecting unemployment. I’m not frantically worried about the state of the world and trying to control what will happen although eight years ago I might have been. Instead, I've been revisiting past blogs. Eight years ago I wrote Stop Dissing Yourself. The fact that I was thinking about and writing this in 2012 has helped me to be more peaceful in my body today during this most unprecedented time in life.

Today I have a quiet confidence that all will be okay and this is a direct result of learning to sit with myself peacefully. This is a direct result of engaging with myself to learn about who I am, what I fear, and how I move through the world. This comes only from learning that I cannot control any of this. Eight years ago I may have tried. Sixteen years ago I definitely would have. 

Your journey isn't over. What you know as your life may be irrevocably changed because of what’s happening today, but with grit, courage and a spirit that's willing to flow with life while being accountable to and approving of yourself and your actions, no matter what happens, you can feel okay even when the world isn't. 

Today you may have the extraordinary ability to spend extra time with yourself. Please use it wisely by getting to know yourself better. Be kind to yourself and inquisitive of who you are with patience. Explore, talk, feel what you’re going through to develop the practice of being your own best freind. Your inner world is your great untapped reservoir of courage, strength, peace and confidence. You never know which positive characteristics you develop today will be needed tomorrow. Safety within yourself creates authentic confidence and certainty within yourself for tomorrow.

My heart extends to the people who are overworked and afraid, healthcare workers and essential food works, etc. My heart is with all those who are suffering with this Covid19 and who have lost or who will lose loved ones. 

For this introvert, as the weeks stretch into months and the novelty of being at home without engaging in the world extends beyond even my comfort zone, I’ve become more melancholy, more lethargic on occasion but also grateful. I'm grateful for the journey of life, for being a woman who refused to become complacent and give into her addictions (but oh my how I fought that) and I am grateful that eight years ago I was writing what I needed to read. Perhaps I still am. Hopefully I'm also writing what you need to read. 

Namaste (I bow to thee and thy journey)