The first word of our message is the most important.  Convincing.  We have to know that what is inside of ourselves is more than believing in ourselves—it is proving that belief through commitment, preparation, and consistent action, we are strong and reliable unto ourselves.  It grows when we show up repeatedly, especially when it would be easier not to.  It is strengthened when our actions align with our values and our words match our behavior. 

The success we seek requires something more than a casual confidence.  It requires conviction.  It is far from phrases we might use, such as ‘I might be able to’, ‘I’m not sure if I can’, ‘That’s beyond me’, or ‘That is so above me’.  Conviction means you are fully convinced of the direction you are moving in.  You are not waiting for approval.You are not looking for constant reassurance.  Others can’t give you or build the conviction that is solely yours.  You have made a decision about who you are becoming.  This level of confidence does not mean life will be easy.  Challenges will still appear.  Doubt will still visit from time to time.  But conviction keeps you moving forward anyway. 

The people who achieve extraordinary things are rarely the most talented. They are often the most convinced.  They refuse to quit on the person they are becoming.

The basis for this week's mindfulness lesson is “Do what you say”.  How do you follow through with what you say you will do?  You need to first firmly believe that your word is your bond and that the words you are ministering are the truth.  Truth enough that you support your words with actions.  Live what you say you believe.  At times, the standards we set are higher than our current abilities.  As long as we are forging ahead and fighting to maintain our standards.  Our standards should be such that we are trying to evolve to a better level than our current situation.  ‘Law of the Lid’ says that we create a top level for ourselves.  If we never raise that lid, we outgrow ourselves, and others around us will outgrow us.  Evolving is so important to our personal growth.  Our words and our actions align so that when people view us, they see consistency.  Don’t set standards to belong to a group or to get someone to admire you.  Others can help us to elevate our standards, but we will never live up to them as long as we don’t believe in ourselves.

If we say health matters, we train.  If we say discipline matters, we follow through.  If we say our family matters, we make time for them.  Integrity strengthens confidence by removing internal conflict. We no longer question ourselves when we know we are living according to our values.

Who are the people you admire the most?  Is it the ones that have strong, over-opinionated voices, where everyone knows less than they do?  Is it those people who should be admired because of the way they look and sound?  Is it the people who stand proud, shoulders back, and say very little?  They don’t push their way into every conversation; they don’t look to be the center of attention.  Convincing confidence is not loud, but it does hold a level of strength.  A smile, not a frown, a steady voice, not an arrogant or ego-driven voice.  Arrogance tries to impress others, title-driven egos, while confident people walk their talk and perform as humble leaders should.  People who are secure in themselves do not need to brag about their abilities.  They let their work and actions speak for them.

True confidence respects others, continues to learn, and remains humble when improvement is needed.  Humble people know they have a lot to learn and will never stand on the side of pride and say there is nothing more, I know it all.

​When confidence is built on commitment and discipline, it becomes stable and grounded rather than fragile and defensive.  Watch the face of someone who is prideful. When you challenge their ideas with something stronger, they are immediately defeated.  Then watch someone who is confident and humble; when challenged, they will step back and say something like, ‘That’s a great idea, I never thought about that,’ and still be enthusiastic.

When are you most confident in yourself?  When you’ve been able to meet challenges and not falter in yourself, feeling insecure and dumbfounded by what has happened.  You become confident in your skills, reactions, and problem-solving knowledge.   The strongest confidence comes from preparation.  People who prepare rarely need to convince others with words.  Their preparation and actions speak loudly.  Athletes train, leaders study, professionals practice, and martial artists drill the same techniques thousands of times over.  Their repetition builds certainty.  When preparation is specific, deep, and performed without hesitation, confidence builds and rises.  You see solutions to problems, you practice those solutions, and preparation is key.

Stop telling reminding yourself of regrets that only tear down your confidence, things like: ‘If I had only made the time’, or ‘I had the time, but never made the effort’, or  ‘I let things go out of control, and lost the opportunity’.

The kind of confidence we are discussing is difficult to shake because it is not based on hope—it is based on effort, proven effort.  The effort you’ve put into developing a strength practiced from worst-case scenarios, creating best-case scenarios where you come out on top.
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Preparation removes doubt and replaces it with conviction.

​We start from the saying that “What you say and what you do are two different Actions”.  There is a world of difference between what you say and believe in and what you believe in and take action on.  People know the difference between confidence backed by movement and confidence that is merely words that sound strong.  When someone is uncertain, their words may sound confident, but their actions reveal hesitation.  Their body language is unsure.  Their decisions are delayed.

Convincing confidence shows up differently.  It is calm, clear, and steady.  People who truly believe in what they are doing move with purpose, and clarity is their direction.  In martial arts, this is obvious.  Students who throw a punch half their power they do not convince anyone of the power emanating from within.  But when someone strikes with commitment, even a simple movement becomes powerful.

​Never train your confidence for the sole purpose of impressing others.  Impress others solely for the purpose of building your own confidence for yourself.  Belief becomes convincing when it is backed by action.

Confidence is often talked about as if it were simply a feeling—something we hope to have when the time is right.  It is a feeling that makes us feel strong and independent.  We are a ‘Special Forces Soldier’, all to ourselves.  But real confidence is much deeper than a feeling.  It is a commitment to who we are, what we believe, and what we are willing to work hard for.  It’s easy to have confidence in ourselves when everyone agrees with us.  The confidence being discussed here is the unshakable, undeniable respect we have for our decisions.  Have you put in the honest work to create, substantiate, and support a decision you are willing to fight or die for?

Confidence does not appear out of thin air.  It needs to grow from commitment.  When we commit to something—our health, our training, our work, our families, or our character—we begin to build a foundation of confidence through trial and error.  It is the humility of error that we gain our greatest foundation.  Many people want confidence before they commit.  They want to know that whatever they commit their confidence to will be popular and exist without opposition.  They want to feel certain before they start.  But the truth is the opposite.  Confidence is the reward for commitment, not the prerequisite.

When we show up consistently to our jobs, to our workout, to our training, especially when we don’t feel like it, we start proving something to ourselves.  Every workout, every difficult conversation, every step forward strengthens our belief that we are capable.

In self-defense, this is the only thing that makes the difference between success and failure.  You either have the committed desire to succeed and the confidence that you will succeed, BEFORE a confrontation can begin and turn out in your favor. 

Confidence is often talked about as if it were simply a feeling—something we hope to have when the time is right.  But real confidence is much deeper than a feeling.  It is a commitment to who we are, what we believe, and what we are willing to work for.

True success in life requires more than believing in ourselves; it requires being convinced that what we are doing and who we are becoming are on the right path. When our confidence is rooted in preparation, discipline, and commitment, others can feel it and see it.  Our actions begin to match our words.  Our posture, our decisions, and our effort reflect certainty instead of hesitation.

Convincing confidence is not arrogance.  It is a quiet conviction.  It is the result of doing the work when no one is watching and standing firmly in who we have chosen to become.
 
Day 1: Begin With Commitment
Day 2: Belief That Others Can Feel
Day 3: Preparation Builds Conviction
Day 4: Confidence Without Arrogance
Day 5: Living What You Say
Day 6: Being Fully Convinced

Convincing confidence is more than believing in yourself—it is proving that belief through commitment, preparation, and consistent action. It grows when we show up repeatedly, especially when it would be easier not to. It is strengthened when our actions align with our values and our words match our behavior.

When confidence is built this way, it becomes convincing—not because we try to persuade others, but because our conviction is visible in everything we do.
The world responds differently to people who are fully committed to who they are becoming.

Confidence may begin as a feeling, but convincing confidence becomes a way of living.