Life sometimes gets a bit rough than usual. 

We all have our trying times. Times when we’ve been put down, undermined, our worth questioned, threatened, and our belief in ourselves is shaken enough for us to believe that we are not enough. Doubt is ourselves’ greatest enemy. If we allow doubt to take over, it may lead us to hopelessness, inferiority, and even depression. Lacking confidence in ourselves is never an easy feeling. 

Confidence is a belief that you have in yourself and your abilities. It is what makes you feel good about yourself and enables you to do what you love to do. However, in this world full of double-standards and judgment, it’s hard to keep your head high especially when you’re having a rough time. It’s challenging not to listen to what other people think and say about you when you allow them to shake you and disrupt that peace that you have for yourself. 

In this noisy world, you need to learn that nothing is ever permanent. Although the feelings of sadness and discontentment are valid, these feelings will fade if you allow yourself some space to be better. As cliche as it may sound, you need to allow yourself to believe that things are gonna be okay and if you only learn to love yourself more and accept even the things you don’t like about yourself, you’ll eventually learn to accept the facts about yourself. 

Although we always hear people say that “You are not alone.”, and while this is very much true in some aspects, we are indeed lone soldiers fighting our own battles. And that if we insist on unloving ourselves, there is no way we can ever love others, much more appreciate and see our worth the way we are supposed to. 

In times of uncertainties, being one with yourself and silencing the noise from the outside helps keep yourself grounded. In this article, we’ll cover why meditation is an efficient way to build confidence. Perhaps knowing so will help you get started today. 

What is Meditation? 

Meditation is a practice that trains our brain to dissociate itself from the constant “mental chatter” going on inside your head. Doing so helps reduce stress caused by these mental chatters, increase calmness and clarity which will eventually bring happiness. 

Meditation is not about becoming a new person. Rather it’s about getting a new and healthier perspective on whatever affects your mind, body, and soul. It’s not about shutting off your thoughts and canceling your feelings. It’s about learning to face them gradually and peacefully without judgment. This allows you to gather a newer perspective which can have a positive effect on your mental, physical, and emotional state.

Meditation can help us make friends with ourselves. 

Meditation teaches us to sit with our emotions. It makes us aware of what we are truly feeling without the panic and the judgment. By doing so, you will learn to validate your emotions and face them straightforwardly. The sooner you come to terms with yourself, the sooner you’ll accept that things happen for a reason. 

Acceptance puts you in a better position to understand why things happen the way they do. Understanding our emotions leads to important realizations in life and we get to accept and embrace ourselves just as we are. Acceptance gives us peace. Acceptance enables us to meet and make friends with ourselves. 

It helps clear our doubts that we have in ourselves and we begin to understand the insecurities that we allowed ourselves to have are superficial. All these constitute to us connecting us back to self-trust and appreciating our self-worth, and more importantly, leading us back into loving ourselves. 

Meditation takes us from a place of self-centeredness to other-centeredness

In contrast to what was said, we all are indeed lone soldiers fighting our own battles but it does not mean that we are all alone and that we should be. Meditation awakens us to the interconnection that we have in each of every one of us. We all play a part in this world and we all play a part in somebody else’s life. 

As we learn to shift our focus in understanding our limitations, we’ll eventually learn to extend ourselves with kindness— one way or another. We start to care about others. Most importantly, we learn to take care of ourselves more — take care of our bodies, our minds, and heart. 

A simple way to meditate 

Find a comfortable and quiet place to sit. In an upright position, close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and mind the flow of your breath as it goes in and out. Try to put yourself in a bubble and focus your mind on your heart and body as you continue to breathe. Feel as if your heart is opening and let go of your inhibitions. 

As you feel your body lightens, try to imagine yourself speaking in your own image. Say your name and give yourself the affirmations you wanted to hear. Silently repeat, “ I am enough. I will be happy, and things will eventually go well for me.” 

Hold these emotions in your heart and let some light in. May you learn to love and see yourself shine before your eyes.