There are many things that can easily dash your confidence – a plan or goal that did not turn out as you had hoped for, a broken relationship, getting a lower score than you had hoped for in that assignment. You may have tried different things to boost your confidence. Some things work for a while others like drugs or alcohol, can throw you into a deeper spiral of despair
Almost 75% of young persons entering the Eight Doors Life Skills Program list ‘lack of confidence as their major struggle. In Shikodo’s work with our Coaching in Uganda the largest group highlighting lack of confidence was young women. On further analysis it was clearly societal expectations that contributed to the low self-esteem. Without confidence it is virtually impossible to complete one’s education or find employment. Without confidence it is almost impossible to achieve one’s aspirations.
Once while waiting for my connecting flight from Singapore to Shanghai, I struck up a conversation with the flight crew who was also waiting for the connecting aircraft, A Boeing 747. I was curious and asked the flight captain if he had ever felt a little nervous just before take-off. His reply was interesting. ‘Sure, there is a brief rush of adrenalin and a deep breath but I tune into to the fact that I'm highly skilled and experienced and as we stick to the procedures you the passenger will have a very pleasant and smooth flight.’ So, what’s the key takeaways from the Flight Captain’s comment? ‘Highly skilled and experienced and sticking to a procedure.’ Do you do that when faced with daily challenges? For the pilot it is their intense training with aeronautical skills and knowledge of the mechanics of the aircraft. The pilot knows their skills and there is simply no thought of lack of confidence.
This year for Shikodo, 2024, is the Year of skills and Confidence. Let’s bring it on!
In the Eight Doors Life Skills Program our training is in the mechanics of the mind, how it works and how we can work with it to our advantage. We train in psychological skills.
Shikodo is a not-for-profit organisation offering Life Skills Coaching-Mentoring to young people globally and locally. We are supported by donations and sponsorship as well as courses for the general public. For further information contact us info@shikodo.org