About Being Self-Confident

English IV

Marcelo Muñoz

If you are a little insecure and life challenges you to act like a self-confident person, you have to pretend to be a secure person. I mean, you have to fake it! The secret is “Fake it until you get it.”

For example, if you have to give a speech in front of many people and if you don´t have much experience doing that, you will obviously feel nervous. But it doesn´t matter if you are new at giving speeches. In this situation you have to trust your skills, knowledge and behavior. It is only a matter of practice.

If you are shy, but you know what you are talking about, you have to imagine that you are an expert talking to people. Forget that you are on a stage giving a speech. Think that you are in your house talking to the wall. Even though this is not as easy as it seems, you have to persist and try to overcome your weaknesses. After many speeches, you will notice that you don´t need to fake that you’re self-confident anymore because you will be! You will get it!

I guess that this had a big impact on me because when I was in school I wondered what would happen if decided to study Business Management because I knew that businessmen have to experts in talking to people, giving business speeches and motivating people. So, here I am studying Business Management asking myself, “What am I going to do?” I´m terrible at talking to people, but after listening to this TED talk I realized that I can learn all these skills to be a successful professional. How? I have to fake it until I get it. How? I just need to practice it.

I heard that many people lose great business opportunities because they are insecure. I think that all our academic preparation, sacrifice and pain in order to have a better life are crucial especially when life gives us this one chance. This is the moment when you have to choose from being a successful person or a loser. Right this moment, you have to do all your best including forgetting your weaknesses and resorting to your strengths.

Finally, I think that Bolivia needs to learn this. Many talented people lose their one-time opportunity because they´re insecure. Take our soccer teams as example. I am sure that we can be better if we overcame our fear to be successful.