A student emailed me this line: “I’m not a very confident person.” I have heard a version of that before. This one stopped me. I could feel the weight of the story she tells herself.
It’s your choice
In her head it is a fact. She has found evidence, so it feels real. To me it is a thought she has chosen. It is a story she has told long enough to believe. What if that story is not actually true?
Choose a different sentence
What if she chose this instead: “I am a very confident person.” What if she repeated that. Would she find evidence for it? Would she show up differently? Would she speak up more? I think so. The words you say to yourself change the next English sentence you are willing to try. For more on that split, see confidence versus self-confidence.
I encourage you to choose confidence
What stories are you telling yourself before a meeting or a class? You can decide the next line. Then say the next word out loud. Daily work like these pronunciation tips gives that choice something solid to stand on. For facing the fear, see courage cannot erase our fears.
If you want guided practice while you choose confidence, start a free trial at pronunciationpro.com/trial/.
