Our perceptions are, more often than not, based on our past conscious and subconscious experiences. They are our way of analysing what happens around and enabling us to decide implications for us. When experiencing anything, our minds will very quickly compare current experience to past experiences and, these past experiences will indicate how we should react to this current experience. If we have had a bad experience that seems very similar to current experience, we will feel in a similar way to feeling we associated with that past bad experience.

So our perceptions are based on past experiences (mostly).

Once we realise this, we can take control of our perceptions and change them particularly when you accept how incorrect our perceptions can be. We have all had experience of perceiving someone or some situation in a particular way, only to realise that we got it completely wrong. With this in mind, although our perceptions are a form or protection and are meant to enable us to weigh up a situation quickly, they can also be wholly inaccurate.

Positive and healthy self-confidence begins by accepting that your perception of yourself may just be wrong. For instance, some friends will be astounded when someone announces (may be on a drunken evening), how they feel they have such low confidence. These friends will say will all sincerity that they find this hard to believe as they always appear confident and in control. Yet that person will still insist that they lack confidence. Obviously signals that they are externalising are not same as those that they are internalising. Often person who appears to be most confident and out-going will have terrible doubts and internal conflicts. The external bravado will be they way of masking how they feel inside.

Good, strong and healthy self-confidence begins by admitting and accepting more evidence of what you can and do well. It also begins by accepting as true those positive and complimentary comments made to you. In past you may have dismissed a positive comment that was said to you because you didn't know how to handle it. You may even have made a joke of it or tried to dig up tiniest fragment of evidence as to why you don't deserve such praise. Many people say something like this 'Oh, it was nothing'.

How can you possibly retain healthy self-confidence if you always dismiss or undermine your achievements? You can't, so decide from today not to do it. In fact decide from today to say just two words when some one says something nice or complimentary about you or something you have done. These two words are 'thank you'. Try it out next time and see how you feel about it. It will help you start to feel confidence that has always been they’re waiting for you.

The use of a Self Confidence self hypnosis cd can help mind to absorb positive suggestions for change. Changes in perception and behaviour are also encouraged.

There are other aspects to gaining healthy self-confdience which will be disussed in another article.

That is when something inside me clicked. It was more like an explosion or an awakening of sorts. The meaning of life was so simple that I had looked right past it thinking that it would be some big discovery of some sort. Some words of wisdom that would make me look like a genius. Instead three words kept going through my brain. Thundering as if God himself was speaking them directly into my thoughts.

We spend our entire lives from moment we take our first breath til our last one is used up trying to be something we aren't. Whether we are trying to get a job by seeming more experienced or trying to win someones heart by becoming person they are looking for. We act differently in different situations. Why?

It is in our nature I suppose or at least nature of flesh. But God's nature is to be same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And since we are to strive to be more "God-like", which I used to think meant to try to be perfect, then meaning of life is nothing more than to "JUST BE YOU!"

Yep, it is just that simple. Be you no matter what happens or where you are or who you are with or what you are trying to achieve. If you can do this you will be something that majority of people will never be. Good, bad or indifferent you will Just Be You.