This video explores the concept of confidence, explaining its origins and offering three practical tips to boost it. It emphasizes the importance of self-esteem, optimism, and a growth mindset in developing confidence.

When faced with a big challenge where potential failure seems to lurk at every corner, maybe you've heard this advice before: be more confident. And most likely, this is what you think when you hear it: if only it were that simple. But what is confidence? Take the belief that you are valuable, worthwhile, and capable, also known as self-esteem. Add in the optimism that comes when you are certain of your abilities, and then, empowered by these, act courageously to face a challenge head-on. This is confidence. It turns thoughts into action. So where does confidence even come from? There are several factors that impact confidence: 1. **What you're born with**, such as your genes, which will impact things like the balance of neurochemicals in your brain. 2. **How you're treated**, including the social pressures of your environment. 3. **The part you have control over**: the choices you make, the risks you take, and how you think about and respond to challenges and setbacks. It isn't possible to completely untangle these three factors, but the personal choices we make certainly play a major role in confidence development. By keeping in mind a few practical tips, we do actually have the power to cultivate our own confidence. **Tip 1: A quick fix.** There are a few tricks that can give you an immediate confidence boost in the short term. Picture your success when you're beginning a difficult task. Something as simple as listening to music with deep bass can promote feelings of power. You can even strike a powerful pose or give yourself a pep talk. **Tip 2: Believe in your ability to improve.** If you're looking for a long-term change, consider the way you think about your abilities and talents. Do you think they are fixed at birth, or that they can be developed, like a muscle? These beliefs matter because they can influence how you act when you're faced with setbacks. If you have a fixed mindset, meaning that you think your talents are locked in place, you might give up, assuming you've discovered something you're not very good at. But if you have a growth mindset and think your abilities can improve, a challenge is an opportunity to learn and grow. Neuroscience supports the growth mindset. Connections in your brain do get stronger and grow with study and practice. It also turns out, on average, people who have a growth mindset are more successful.