Overcome Self-Doubt and Build Lasting Self-Esteem.  Embark on a transformative journey with ‘Wise Confidence’ as Giovanni Dienstmann reveals the secrets to lasting self-esteem. This groundbreaking book promises a positive shift from fleeting bravado to enduring self-assurance.

Dive deeper into the art of true self-confidence; continue reading to unlock your potential for unshakable self-belief.

Genres

Self-help, Personal Development, Psychology, Mindfulness, Meditation, Spirituality, Success, Motivation, Empowerment, Wellness

‘Wise Confidence’ by Giovanni Dienstmann is a comprehensive guide that challenges conventional notions of self-confidence, advocating for a version rooted in integrity, wisdom, and purpose. The book presents a practical framework combining psychology, philosophy, spirituality, and mindfulness to help readers transition from self-doubt to unshakable self-belief. It outlines exercises, meditations, and tools designed to cultivate the five elements of self-confidence: self-belief, courage, optimism, integrity, and determination.

Review

Giovanni Dienstmann’s ‘Wise Confidence’ is a refreshing take on self-improvement literature. It stands out for its depth and practicality, offering a positive and empowering approach to building self-confidence. The book’s blend of theoretical insights and actionable exercises provides a solid foundation for personal growth. Dienstmann’s expertise as a meditation teacher and life coach shines through, making ‘Wise Confidence’ a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their self-esteem and live a more purposeful life.

Recommendation

If self-doubt plagues you, you’re not alone. Few people possess genuine self-confidence – but it’s a quality you can learn to build for yourself. Meditation teacher Giovanni Dienstmann offers a clear, practical framework for confidence-building that you can incorporate into your daily life. If you’re looking for an overnight quick fix, this isn’t the framework for you: True confidence takes time to develop. Learn why designing your ideal life forms a vital part of building authentic self-confidence, and how to navigate the existential uncertainty that comes with this transformative journey.

Take-Aways

• Strengthen the five elements of self-confidence, and start betting on yourself.
• Identify what’s blocking you from developing an empowering self-concept.
• Take ownership of your strengths and weaknesses from a place of self-love.
• To write a powerful new life narrative, move from self-discovery to self-design.
• Release your old self and courageously venture into the unknown.
• Deepen your self-awareness, and learn to shift negative thought patterns.
• Express your inner transformation in your outer life by taking aligned actions.
• Unlock self-confidence with three keys: patience, perseverance and determination.

Summary

Strengthen the five elements of self-confidence, and start betting on yourself.

Most people feel plagued by doubts and fears, as a result of internalizing limiting beliefs about what they’re capable of achieving. People who lack confidence frequently display self-doubt, arrogance or overconfidence. Those operating from a place of self-doubt might have anxiety about the outcomes of their actions, and those who are arrogant and overconfident tend to express baseless conviction.

If you have self-doubts, self-confidence will help you overcome them. Building self-confidence requires developing a healthier self-concept and discovering a more positive way to navigate life. The “Wise Confidence” approach can help you cultivate inner wisdom, humility and awareness as you develop greater confidence.

“It is wise to believe in yourself. It is also wise to be humble. This is Wise Confidence.”

The following five elements contribute to self-confidence, and you can boost your confidence by strengthening each of them:

1. Self-belief – Having faith in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals will help you stop giving your power away through self-doubt.
2. Courage – A belief in your ability to navigate challenges, and trust in your capacity to overcome adversity, will increase your motivation to take action.
3. Optimism – When you believe in your ability to achieve your desired outcomes, your confidence grows.
4. Integrity – A sense of wholeness comes from overcoming internal contradictions. When you experience internal integration, no parts of you will sabotage your success.
5. Determination – You can develop the willpower and the internal resolve you need to work toward your goals.

Identify what’s blocking you from developing an empowering self-concept.

For most people, negative conditioning that occurred in their formative childhood years has caused their self-confidence to plummet. For example, if your parents didn’t support your goals, or if you faced bullying or discrimination when you were growing up, these influences might have prompted you to internalize a poor self-image. Low self-confidence can also result as a side effect of a personality trait. For example, someone who is a perfectionist might believe she’ll never be good enough.

Comparing yourself to others – a common habit in today’s social media-fueled age – can undermine confidence. Low self-worth can also stem from experiencing a big setback, failure or trauma. If this applies to you, consulting a mental health professional could help you get back on course.

“Self-confidence is about who you are at your core, and not about your position in the social hierarchy or how you compare with others.”

Some people self-sabotage by holding onto internalized limiting beliefs and failing to build the self-discipline they need for transformation. It can feel safer not to take risks. You can take a big step forward today simply by choosing to start believing in yourself and facing any internal conflicts that arise as you begin to move forward.

Take care who you choose to surround yourself with on your journey toward self-confidence. The people you spend time with will influence the beliefs you hold about yourself. If you spend a lot of time with friends who tend to view the world through a disempowering lens – such as blaming others every time something goes wrong – you might find yourself doing the same. Distance yourself from people who feel inadequate, as they might envy, shame and criticize you when you begin to experience your own success.

Take ownership of your strengths and weaknesses from a place of self-love.

Self-confidence has three pillars: aspiration, awareness and action. Start building all three. To develop aspiration, begin by identifying and taking ownership of your strengths. Reflect on the things you seem to be able to do more easily than other people. Consider which activities help you enter a state of flow most naturally, and what strengths you draw on when you navigate adversity. Ask your friends what they think your strongest qualities are.

Next, confront your weaknesses – the areas in life where you struggle most. Accept your limitations, and work on strengthening your skills from a place of confidence and self-love. As you get to know yourself better and discover what you desire most, your life will begin to transform.

“Lean on your strengths. Don’t run away from them. Don’t pretend they don’t exist. Let them shine through your thoughts, speech and actions.”

Developing self-awareness will allow you to choose an empowering mindset and stop giving negative thoughts so much power. You’ll be able to harness the power of your imagination and fully embody your desired positive states.

Finally, take action. Take daily steps to build your self-confidence, overcome your fears, live more authentically, recover from failures and build new skills.

To write a powerful new life narrative, move from self-discovery to self-design.

Think of your identity as a story you keep telling yourself about who you are. This story connects to your beliefs, mindset, thoughts and feelings. Most people still live in narrative boxes – stories that people close to them, such as family members, wrote for them. If your origin story is full of limiting beliefs, such as “I don’t belong,” it’s time to create a new one.

To create a new identity, you’ll need to tell yourself a new story so many times that you build a confirmation bias affirming this new story. As you accept the new story, your everyday actions will begin to align with the new narrative. Start telling yourself a new, more desirable story about yourself, and placing your belief in this new narrative.

“You didn’t create your origin story, but you believed in it for years and likely continue feeding it to this day. Now you have the opportunity to change that.”

To design your new self, you’ll need a clear vision of the person you want to become. Pay attention to any characters in film and culture that inspire you, and reflect on the archetypes they embody. For example, if you enjoy watching Rocky Balboa movies, ask yourself what qualities Rocky displays that you’d like to have yourself – for example, his self-belief and mental toughness.

Consider choosing a powerful symbol or archetype to represent your desired character. For example, if you aspire to be a leader, you might choose to identify with the universal archetype of the queen or king. This archetype will remind you to display values of wisdom, leadership and decisiveness.

Choose “power words” that remind you of your core strengths and values and of the characteristics you aspire to embody. Power words convey the essence of your aspired character concisely. Choose a few power words – no more than three – that reflect your strengths, values and aspirations. For example, you might choose “calm, confident, creative” or “clear, empowered, disciplined.” Choose power words that express your own character and aspirations, and then commit to practicing each one.

Also, choose words that reflect your desired way of life, such as “lifelong learner,” “storyteller” or “bon vivant.” Write these words down and treat them as a blueprint for your new self. By consistently taking action that aligns with your blueprint, you’ll transform your life from the inside out.

Release your old self and courageously venture into the unknown.

Dismantling and releasing yourself from your old self-image – your “conditioned identity” – and taking a step toward your new, aspirational identity can be frightening. In this process of letting go and venturing into the unknown, you enter a temporary state of uncertainty. You might even feel like part of you is dying. To navigate this uncertain terrain, you’ll need courage and faith in the process. If your current life is full of unbearable suffering, you may find you have no choice but to release the past and move forward.

Stop blaming others for your life’s challenges and, instead, focus on taking ownership of the life you’re designing. However, release any false belief that you can control outcomes – the “control fallacy.” Instead, focus on choosing how you’ll respond to the experiences and events that lie ahead.

“Letting go is a power you always have. However wrong the other person was, however unfair the situation was, you always have the power to learn something from it and let it go.”

Take time to celebrate moments of transition by creating rituals – rites of passage between one life stage and another. For example, you could refresh your wardrobe or burn an object that symbolizes aspects of your old self that you’re releasing.

Transitioning to your new, aspirational identity requires a daily practice of alignment. Cultivate the right mindset by taking time to think about the symbols, power words and archetypes you’ve selected, and by repeating the phrases that affirm your new identity. For example, you might repeatedly tell yourself: “I am full of courage, confidence and energy.” To lend power to your affirmations, concentrate on them as you repeat them, much like when you’re meditating and you concentrate on a mantra. Take time each day to visualize the process of overcoming your obstacles and embodying this affirmation, while enjoying the new life and identity you’re creating.

Deepen your self-awareness, and learn to shift negative thought patterns.

As you deepen your awareness of your own beliefs, feelings and thoughts, you will inevitably encounter negative thought patterns that have been holding you back. Use the following practices and tools to go deeper into your self-knowledge and to shift any unhelpful thoughts or beliefs you discover:

• Meditate for self-confidence – Dedicate a space in your home to meditation. Ideally, choose somewhere calm, tidy and quiet, where there are no interruptions. Silence your phone. Find a comfortable place to sit with an erect spine, such as on a cushion. Commit to making meditation a regular part of your daily schedule.
• Embody your new identity – Commit to everyday embodiment practices that remind you to shift into your new, aspirational identity. You could make a practice of bringing your hands together in a “mudra,” a physical gesture that will symbolically anchor you to your desired state. For example, if you place the fingertips of both your hands together, they form a triangle, which can remind you of the three pillars of self-confidence.
• Redefine reality through imagination – Harness the power of your imagination to create a felt sense of your new identity and to experience the feeling of confidence in your body. Visualize empowering scenarios, such as meeting an inspiring version of your future self. Imagine asking your future self for advice.
• Shift negative self-talk – Identify and question negative thoughts and limiting beliefs, and replace them with more empowering attitudes and thoughts. If you catch yourself speaking to yourself unkindly, in a way you’d never speak to a good friend, reframe your self-talk. Give yourself encouragement and respect, and remind yourself that you can learn and grow from your mistakes.
• Release the old – Use the ROAR method to overcome the triggered states associated with your old identity. The acronym ROAR represents the following steps: Recognize the urge or emotion that is arising, and name it – for example, “Anxiety is here.” Observe the triggered state in your body as a pure sensation, and reflect on where it’s located and how it feels – for example, shallow and hot, or cold and deep. Accept without judgment any sensations that arise. Finally, release the sensations as you breathe out. Take a step back and witness your life from a distance. Zooming out can broaden your perspective.

Express your inner transformation in your outer life by taking aligned actions.

Embrace the final pillar 0f Wise Confidence – action – by aligning the inner, transformative work you’ve done with the outer expression of your new self. Pay attention to your posture, appearance and body language, using the mind-body connection to your benefit.

For example, the power pose – standing straight, with your shoulders held back slightly, arms uncrossed and feet parted – can boost your confidence. According to researcher Amy Cuddy, simply standing in the power pose for two minutes can reduce the stress hormone cortisol and increase testosterone levels.

To convey confidence in your speech, talk less, adopt an unhurried tone, and speak each word with intention and energy, conveying a sense of purpose. Resist the temptation to downplay your words by inserting phrases such as “I guess” or “Who knows.” Stand behind your statements with conviction instead.

“What is the point of living under fear? You are not going to survive this life. No one will.”

Acting from a place of self-confidence requires shifting from a fear-based survival mindset to one that focuses on living a purpose-inspired life. If you’re taking risks and stretching yourself, life isn’t always going to feel comfortable – and that’s a good thing, as facing your discomfort is part of continuous learning and growing. Sticking with your goals, even when you’re facing discomfort, requires self-discipline – a skill you’ll need in order to learn any other skill. Self-discipline is crucial for developing self-belief.

Unlock self-confidence with three keys: patience, perseverance and determination.

Cultivate the following three virtues, the keys that will help you unlock true self-confidence:

1. Patience – You won’t always see instant results from your efforts, and that’s OK because you’re committing to a process of long-term change and growth. Sustainable change doesn’t happen overnight, but that shouldn’t deter you. As you build your self-confidence and design your best life, play the long game.
2. Perseverance – When you develop perseverance, you can overcome adversity and moments of self-doubt. You’ll have a growth mindset and a belief that you can reach your desired transformation.
3. Determination – By fully committing to your vision and purpose, living in alignment with your new self-confident self and showing up as your desired self each day, you’ll become the person you wish to be.

About the Author

Giovanni Dienstmann is a self-discipline coach and meditation teacher. He also wrote Practical Meditation and Mindful Self-Discipline.

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