Just a Different Kind of Confidence

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." -Neale Donald Walsch

The word confidence has roots in Latin and French. From the Latin root "fidere" meaning to trust, the word confidence is certainly a loaded word. It is defined as "belief in oneself and the power of one's abilities."

People often forget that confidence comes in many forms. We cannot simply wrap up a person's qualities in a box, tie it with a bow, and put them in a certain category. It does not work that way at all.

Being confident does not necessarily equate being outgoing. I know many quiet, pensive souls who are among the most confident in my circles. Similarly, I know many outgoing souls that lack confidence in their daily activities. Confidence is a noun; it is a thing. We possess it. It radiates from the core of who we are as individuals.

We all have aspects of our lives in which we exhibit confidence. Our careers. Our families. Our faith. Whatever it may be, confidence carries importance. More specifically, confidence is necessary to all components of our lives.

I am going to share a story with you again today. Perhaps, in some small way, you will find yourself in it too.

Just a Different Kind of Confidence

As a child, I loved watching The Wizard of Oz. The tale of Dorothy and her journey down the yellow brick road was a whimsical one to me. It was a story that had (in my mind) all the components necessary to a good movie: action, antagonists (the wicked witch of the west, anyone?), and other fun characters relevant to the plot.

I can appreciate The Wizard of Oz even after I've outgrown my childhood wishes of an actual yellow brick road to the land of Oz. The Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow - they all exemplify parts of humanity that we harbor within ourselves.

Forever an English educator, I love the metaphors in the story. The Wizard of Oz shows us that we can all lack courage, heart, and intelligence at times, but in the end, we still have the confidence we need to overcome any obstacles that come our way.

In many ways, I think we can all relate to the character struggles in The Wizard of Oz. Perhaps some of us have had similar issues, feeling that we lack the confidence to be courageous or smart. I know that like Dorothy, I learned the meaning of home. Being away taught me that sometimes what we are looking for is in our own backyard and it simply takes confidence to recognize how this can change us for the better.

Ultimately, it is important to recognize our own confidence, even when we feel unsure of ourselves. We can take action in all that we do, whether it be in our careers, our home lives, pursuing a potential relationship, making new friends, or any other number of things.

Have the confidence to follow your own yellow brick road, wherever it may take you. And just remember - everyone has their own unique abilities. It may be just a different kind of confidence.