CONFIDENT PEOPLE. I recently had the pleasure of attending my great niece’s dance recital. Mila will be five years old in August, and she is on her way to becoming a multi-talented young lady. This year’s performance was staged under a tent in a freshly mowed hay field in upstate New York—to satisfy the open-air mask requirements of Covid-19. This little girl exudes confidence, and I applaud her parents for that. In a word, the entire afternoon and performance was FABULOUS.
On more than one occasion, I found myself smiling and feeling my emotional button being pushed. I was watching a group of young people “doing their thing” after hours of training, rehearsal, practice, corrected errors and polished dance routines. In addition to being entertained, I was being reminded of how overnight success does not come by accident. Each and every one of these kids was earning the respect of the audience.
I noticed how many of the dancers appeared comfortable and confident in what they were doing in front of a tent full of “strangers.” There were a few however, who caught my attention as their lack of confidence took center stage.
I began thinking about “confidence” and how it is fortified in our early years. I found myself asking, “Why do some kids appear confident, while others show visible signs of timidness and fright?”
Could it be as simple as an undetected dosage of DNA at birth, or a missing gene or two? Or is it more obvious than that? Could it be that these youngsters have not received an appropriate amount of recognition, proper instruction, praise, or appreciation?
Regardless of the reasoning behind my observations, it saddens me when people, regardless of their age, tend to avoid the spotlight with self-esteem being at the root of the problem. I am personally aware of many adults who have a lot going for them, and still show up each day as if they do not belong.
The truth is, if you give life (or any specific activity) your best and continue to improve your performance while refusing to play to the wrong audience, you have every right to stand proud. Stop comparing yourself to the dancers next to you, and start depending on your well-rehearsed muscle memory to get you through your next challenge.
Back on the dance floor, I was super proud of each and every boy or girl who had the desire, guts, stamina and stick-to-it-ness to don a costume and begin dancing once the music started.
What I would like to see more of are children feeling good about themselves and showing confidence in their abilities, while working hard and having their good work recognized and applauded. What I would like to see more of are adults feeling good about themselves and showing confidence in their abilities, while working hard and having their good work recognized and applauded
Postscript: Choose your words wisely when speaking to the future generation. They will hear and interpret your words resulting in a boost of self-confidence or a continuation of feeling doubtful and insignificant. Our job as adults is to help boost their confidence levels by recognizing their efforts and making sure they know they are being watched.
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. mike@mikemarchev.com.
*** You want more to think about? Check out my weekly podcast (Mike’d Up Marchev). Also listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and iHeartRadio.
