Do you ever look back on something you thought was difficult, only to now believe it is easy?

We do not start in life with strengths set in stone. We start with an empty slate. Many women have natural abilities, but they still need to improve their blind spots. It just does not take them as long as others.

When you look at your current strengths as a one-time weakness, you can take comfort in knowing your present blind spots will someday be strengths. Of course, this is if you want to turn them into strengths. There may be reasons why you do not want to put in the effort. We only have only 365 days in a year, after all. We have other situations happening in the lives that cause us to put certain things on the back burner.

You should ask yourself, "How important are some of your blind spots?"

This is when you take advantage of the strengths-once-were-weaknesses mindset. That is not always as straightforward as we would like.

Are they preventing you from obtaining your goals?

No: If...

Perhaps aside from the most successful people in the world, we all sabotage ourselves. Some wait until they get close to success, while others sabotage themselves before taking the first step. The causes are the same regardless of when it occurs.

The world is tough enough without taking on the role of the greatest obstacle you face in life. You are also the toughest opponent to beat.

Hardly anyone addresses this issue in their own life. If you can end this behavior, you will have a huge advantage over everyone you know. There is not much else in your way if you can get out of your way.

Avoid self-sabotage and enjoy more success with these strategies:

1. Think about your goals. Does this make you feel uncomfortable? This best predicts your ability to follow through on a goal. If you can think about achieving your goal and only have positive feelings, you won’t sabotage yourself. But, if you get that queasy feeling, you know you have some work to do.

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When you believe in yourself and are sure that you will succeed at something, you have self-confidence. Throughout life, your self-confidence level might fluctuate when faced with challenging situations. However, you have the power to build your self-confidence.

Although parents can encourage young children to believe in themselves, only you hold the keys to strengthening your confidence as an adult.

If you feel less self-assured than you would like, you can step up and take action to shore yourself up. Review the following strategies to find inspiration.

Take personal responsibility to build your self-confidence using these methods:

1. Select a mentor. If you want to believe in yourself, seek someone you think exhibits great self-confidence. Consider this person to be your model of self-confidence. When selecting a mentor, ask yourself:

• Does she stand straight and strong?

• Is she relaxed and open to others?

• In addition to these...

Low self-esteem is a common challenge, regardless of age, background, or socioeconomic status.

We all know high self-esteem is good, but how does one develop it?

Many programs and books are designed to raise self-esteem but are still challenging. Try these top 10 tips to give your self-esteem the boost you seek.

Increase your self-esteem and feel great about yourself with these strategies:

1. Get support from your greatest fan. You probably have a friend or family member who always finds a way to lift you when you feel down. Visit them and let them know you are struggling.

2. Remember that low self-esteem is a symptom of detrimental thinking habits. Anything that was said or happened in the past is over. You can only keep those things alive with your thoughts. Uplift your thinking, and your self-esteem will begin to rise as well.

3. Learn how to take compliments. Compliments are hard to take when your self-esteem is low. Ironically, that is when you...

Sometimes, it is not easy to forgive your missteps. You feel rotten when you have let yourself or someone else down. But one day, you must allow the sun to shine again.

Has it been challenging to do that?

This 4-step process can help you forgive yourself and move on with your life:

1. Confront your mistake. In all circumstances, take responsibility for your error. Come face to face with it and acknowledge where you stumbled. As painful as it might be, this is the first step to forgiving yourself.

• It is sometimes helpful to look in the mirror and say aloud what you did. It connects you with the action. It also helps you realize that it is okay to make mistakes.

• Coaching can help if the first option does not do the trick. Talking to someone else may help you release feelings tied down inside.

2. Analyze the impact. Take a moment to reflect on the outcome of your actions. Who has been affected? How badly were you or others hurt? Take it all at...

Have you ever wanted to do something, but your fear kept you from doing it? Or maybe you just felt like you did not have the time or energy. Do you wonder what it would take to enable you to muster up the strength and courage to go after your dreams?

Thankfully, you can pursue whatever you want by putting some simple strategies to work that will reveal your inner warrior!

Use these strategies to help you create the life you desire:

1. Get acquainted with your physical strength. Pumping some iron will help you recognize your physical strength, an important step to revealing your inner strength. If your doctor approves, if you love aerobics, get your heart pumping and do them with a vengeance.

* To improve your balance and flexibility. Feeling physically strong will help you go after your dreams in other aspects of your life. Think of yourself as a warrior-in-training.

2. Know that you can do it. Just like the children's story, "The Little Engine That...

An optimistic delusion could be a very positive attitude…some might say an overly confident attitude. You might think that is just being braggish and even lying to yourself. You may be correct, but the science is fascinating on this issue.

Studies show that individuals who overemphasize their abilities, skills, and talents for a new endeavor ultimately execute at a higher level than those who are more realistic or pessimistic about succeeding.

People who overestimate their abilities learn skills better and are more successful. This is not too surprising. If you do not think you are good at something and cannot study to do it well, you will be less motivated and involved in learning that activity.

Conversely, if you expect the best, you will jump in and get busy conquering the new skill. With high expectations - even unjustly high hopes – you greatly enhance the odds of succeeding.

How Optimistic Delusions Can Help You to Reach Your Goals

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 Are you pleased with the way events are going in your life? Hopefully, continuing to achieve the life goals you have set will bring you considerable happiness and contentment. But perhaps you have taken a different path, and you think it would be helpful to add some goals. Sometimes, life requires that we alter the track we are on.

Maybe your focus has changed due to losing a partner or job, requiring you to relook at the goals you created long ago. Whatever the case, considering a change in your life's dreams could be in order.

Consider these five suggestions:

1. Review your current life list. Pull out that file of life goals you listed years ago. Are they still what you desire? Maybe you are ready to let a few of them go to make room for some new ones that are more fitting. Permit yourself to adjust your list as needed.

• For example, maybe you thought you would become the company's president someday, but you have discovered that you are more of a...

Anything women believe and think will project how we live our lives. Too many women do not consider this. They often attribute their hardships to chance or fate. Although there are some elements of this within our lives, how we think can change our future.

If you are a negative thinking woman, you will not see answers even when they exist.

You will beat down any notion that comes your way, thinking it is not possible. On the other hand, every idea can become an answer when you maintain a positive outlook. You will find the path much faster than when you do not acknowledge any ideas.

These consequences of positive and negative thinking play out for women repeatedly. Positive women advance where negative women stay stuck in place or, even worse, fall behind.

You will assemble with folks who share a similar mental mindset.

• Negativity will draw negative thinkers, and positivity will attract positive thinkers. If you get a group of positive thinkers together, who are all open...

What comes to your brain if someone says you should try something new? Are you excited to jump in and try it? Or are you terrified of possible adverse outcomes? See, most women get scared away by the thought of trying something they have never tried before. And that is okay.

The next time you get nervous about experimenting with something new, come back to your “why” and remind yourself of these positive outcomes.

1.  You Will Learn What You Are Capable of

How do you know if you do not try? As soon as you start mixing it up and trying new things, you will unveil things about yourself that you never knew before. You may have a hidden talent or a personal interest that grows into something big.

2.  Humility is an Added Bonus

When you try something, and you fall on your face. The bright side is that you earn a sense of humility.

3.  Capitalize on the Successes

Creating your next opportunity makes it that much more satisfying when you...