V is for: Visualize Success for Confidence

When my daughter Summer was about a semester into her college experience at the age of 16, she knew what field she wanted to work in. With great confidence, she asked her professor, “How do I get your job?” The professor told her. Since then, she has been on track to work as an art historian.

Visualizing success can you the confidence you need to reach your goals.

In 2012, social psychologist, Amy Cuddy gave the TED Talk, Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are.[1] In it, she hypothesizes that your body language not only affects the way you interact with the world and the world in turn, interacts with you, but also, that you only need to stand in the “Superman Pose” for 2 minutes before any big meeting or speech to feel more confident, and therefore be more successful.

Since then, many people have called Cuddy’s work into question.[2] I can only speak from my own personal experience. I am a big believer in “fake it ‘til you make it.” It’s not so much about doing this 2 minutes prior to the time you need to feel an extra boost of confidence, but also, throughout the duration of the meeting.

This takes some practice to be sure. Smile at yourself in the mirror.  Speak with confidence and clarity t your family members. It will make it much easier to muster that same winning confidence in a setting that isn’t quite as comfortable as your own home.

The A to Z Blogging Challenge

I’m doing double duty this month during the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Here at Heather Erickson Author/Writer/Speaker, I will share ideas for “Thinking Creatively.” I’ll also be doing the challenge at Facing Cancer with Grace, where I will focus on “Avoiding Burnout.” I hope you’ll visit me at both sites. While you’re here, sign up for my email list. Today’s post is, V is for Visualize Success for Confidence.

When Nobel Laureate, Jonas Salk, was asked how he went about inventing the polio vaccine, he replied, “I pictured myself as a virus or a cancer cell and tried to sense what it would be like.”

Think about an idea or solution you’re working on. Imagine it has been incredibly successful.

• What’s happening?
• What are you doing?
• Is there something you see?
• What are people saying?
• How do you feel?
• Does this spark a new insight?

What do you do to feel successful?

What Are YOUR Thoughts?

I’d love to hear in the comment section, below. I appreciate my readers as well as the writing community. To show that appreciation, I use Comment Luv. Just leave a comment below and your latest post will get a link next to it. Thank you!

About Heather Erickson

I am an author, writer, and speaker and homeschooling mom of 3. Since doctors diagnosed my husband, Dan with stage IV lung cancer in 2012, I’ve focused my writing and speaking on helping cancer patients and their families advocate for themselves and live life to the fullest, in spite of their illness. My goal is to help people face cancer with grace. My books are available at Amazon.com:

The Memory Maker’s Journal 

Facing Cancer as a Friend: How to Support Someone Who Has Cancer

Facing Cancer as a Parent: Helping Your Children Cope with Your Cancer

I also blog about living with cancer at Facing Cancer with Grace.

Footnotes:

[1] Cuddy, Amy. “Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are.” TED, TED, 2012, www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are/up-next?language=en.

[2] Kluger, Jeffrey. “Power Poses Don’t Actually Work. Try These Strategies Instead.” Time, Time, 26 Sept. 2017, time.com/4949675/power-poses-confidence/.