One of my favourite things to do is to walk around Santiago soaking up the character of the streets, admiring the architecture, taking photographs, and feeling the mix of energy between the man made and the natural. I am a big fan of murals, especially those that bring nature to life on the walls of the urban landscape.

Today I am sharing two photographs which are the 'before and after' of a mural that I came across a few weeks ago. The first photograph shows that that the mural is a bird, but without colour and detail the rest is left to our imagination. One week later I found myself back in the same spot and face to face with the finished product, a Robin. In seeing the final version of the bird I was struck by the transformation that had taken place. I realised that I had not considered the potential within the original outline to become something so beautiful.

Often as individuals we fail to recognise our own potential in similar ways. We may find ourselves inspired by certain ideas but if we lack self confidence we can let doubt take over, we procrastinate, consider the barriers, and slowly we become dragged down by the visualisation of failure instead of success. Often our lack of confidence is a reflection of our past experiences, the treatment we received as children, or as adults, our successes and failures over the years, and the values and thoughts that we have taken to become the 'norm' of who we are.

I believe that before the artist started to prepare the Robin they did so with a knowing and belief that they would be capable of creating something beautiful. Self confidence is essential in having the ability to make things possible and generate success in our lives. According to Biswas-Diener & Dean (2007):

"If you believe in your ability to succeed and are committed to doing the work required for success, then you are likely going to plug away even in tough times."

Indeed self confidence allows us to organise ourselves in such a way that we not only start something but we see it through and finish it. We do the preparation work, we find and use the correct tools, we apply our skills and talents, then we direct our time and energy to make the vision reality. Fortunately self confidence is something that we can increase with deliberate effort and appropriate support. Just like the mural of the Robin, our lives can be filled with the colour and definition of confidence, helping us to set goals, overcome barriers, and achieve results that make us proud. Confidence in ourselves brings an energy and vibrancy to our every day experience and opens up our world to the ripple effect of greater success.

If you desire to develop more confidence and overcome personal barriers to achieve success, get in touch today to arrange your consultation with Cate at Wings for Success Coaching and Consultancy.

Wings for Success Coaching and Consultancy

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