When was the last time you really felt confident in your decision-making process? Who helped you develop self-confidence — the sense of being able to handle any situation or event that’s inside your wheelhouse? What one event catapulted you into the leadership role that affects many families and their lifestyles?
According to the Oxford dictionary, the definition of self-confidence is “a feeling of trust in one’s abilities, qualities, and judgment.” It’s often easier to look back at some of the decisions we made through the years and see how far off base we were than it was to recognize that at the time. In the moment, it seems that everyone around us can see how terribly wrong a decision may be, but we’re unable to do so.
For example, I turned in a bid for a job at an air force base. It was to landscape new homes for soldiers and their families. Just about all we came away with from that contract was the shirt on our backs. I learned a lot from this one job, which was well over $3 million — but what it taught me the most was how important it is to read the fine print. As they say, the devil is in the details.
As parents, friends, decision makers and business owners, we make many mistakes that leave us wishing we could hit a redo button. Sometimes our decisions affect only us, especially when we’re young or on the bottom of the business ladder. Then, as we gain knowledge through experience and lots of outside resources, our decisions start to affect many different people whom we never see on a daily basis. This is a critical point in our own growth — when we are in the process of gaining both self-confidence and humility in our decision making. We can rebuild from earlier choices that we made and see how they have played out in the long run. Learning from our decisions and gaining insight enable us to become closer with our spouse, children, friends and coworkers, and gain a depth of appreciation for the special relationships we have with them.
One of my weakest points as a human being is rejoicing or celebrating the achievement of the right decision at the right time. I know we all feel pressure to perform in the marketplaceand to be better parents, and we apply pressure to our children to excel in academics and sports. But we can be present in the moment and celebrate our loved ones and their victories. I had a friend tell me that his son had the lowest GPA in his class at the local medical school. This friend said that he never felt as proud, or yelled as loud, as when his son received his Doctor of Medicine degree, or M.D., along with 23 other students.
Now, remember the first big decision you made that was wrong! Remember the person who helped you rebuild your self-confidence. Be that person for someone else now. And be the person who stops and celebrates the special moments that may happen only once in your lifetime.
Live inspired,
Jimmy
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