Strength Comes from Overcoming Challenges

I believe confidence comes from overcoming challenges. I developed this as a core belief while training in and teaching jujitsu. I noticed a lot of new students came seeking to learn jujitsu, but couldn't perform techniques right away and quit within a few weeks. They were embarrassed by their perceived failure. Some, however, stuck with it. 

As a teacher, I was especially fascinated with the individuals who were not confident or natural at jujitsu in the beginning, but they kept on trying. Overtime, you'd see them get a technique right once, then 10 percent of the time, then half of the time, then 80 percent of the time. What I witnessed more than their ability to "kick butt" was their emotional ability to overcome failure.

Fall and get up enough times,  you soon know emotionally nothing can keep you down.  Knowing you can overcome is confidence. Watch the Olympics, professional athletics or  successful leaders, and you'll learn that a surprising number had less than ideal childhoods or periods in their lives. Overcoming those challenges gave them the strength and confidence to achieve their goals.
 

Fear is another challenge in my mind.  If you can get through fear, you're stronger than before.  Overcoming challenges, like fear, builds strength and confidence.  Much like lifting weights, where the work-out tears the muscle fiber, but then heals-up stronger than before. 

If we never fail, we have not tried hard enough. If we pick-up ourselves and push through, we will be stronger. At the time of struggle, it may not seem like it, but a challenge is our friend. It makes us better.