Things I learned this week:  So this book is so great and I am super excited to talk about it and learn to implement all of the things!  So this week what I think I learned most is to understand what real confidence is. 

Confidence defined ; A sense of certainty about your ability, which allows you to bypass conscious thought and execute unconsciously.” (p8) 

Here are the 5 misconceptions about confidence.

Misconception #1 ; confidence is a fixed, inherited trait.  You were born with a certain amount of it and there’s not much you can do beyond that.” (p12)

This whole book is about how you can learn to become more confident.
 

“Misconception #2:  Confidence is All-Encompassing, so You’re Either Confident Across the Board in All Aspect of Life or You’re Not Confident at All.” (p15)

We can be confident is some areas of our lives and not feel confident is others.  It is definitely not an all or nothing kind of thing. 

“Misconception #3: Once You Become Confident You’ll Stay That Way Forever.”

Confidence is very fragile and that is why we need to learn how to maintain our confidence, which is a big part of the book. 

“Misconception #4:  Once You’ve Achieved Some Success and Once You’ve Gotten Some Positive Feedback Your Confidence Is Guaranteed to Grow.” 

Just because we have acheive some success doesn't necessarily mean we will continue to have confidence and for many people it can have the opposite effect.  In this book, Dr. Zinsser will help us hold on to our success and build our confidence.

“Misconception #5: Mistakes, Failures, and Negative Feedback Inevitably Destroy, Erode, or Weaken Your Confidence.” (p19)

Here he share that we can take failure in many different way.  Some of which is to learn from it and some of it is simply to let it go and not think too much about it.  

The last thing that is discussed in this epsiode is about the confidence or psychological bank account.  "In that way, human confidence is very much a psychological “bank account,” a repository of your thoughts about yourself and what is happening in your life. Just as the balance of any bank account at then end of the day depends upon how much is either deposited into it or withdrawn from it, the psychological bank account of confidence also rises and falls depending on how you are thinking at the moment.  ‘Deposit’ in that bank account memories of past successes, memories of progress of improvement, and thoughts about future improvements and accomplishments, and the ‘balance’ grows.  ‘Withdraw’ from that account by replaying past setbacks and difficulties, or by fixating on possible future setbacks and difficulties, and the “balance” shrinks.  Gaining confidence, protecting confidence, and performing with confidence – winning the first victory – is all about managing your psychological bank account.” (p24)

Can't wait to continue to learn with you as we read through this book.