We all want to become more confident and feel good about ourselves so we can live our very best life. Here are some ways to gain confidence and raise self-esteem:

1. Do something that requires a decision and a follow-through.

Have you been putting off writing that letter to aunt Martha? Is there a friend you’’ve been meaning to call? Wash the car, tidy the garden or clean the house. You’ll gain confidence by setting goals (even small ones) and following through on them.

2. Enjoy something you do well.

Do you have any hobbies or sports that you enjoy playing? Some things like going swimming, painting or writing can hold your attention and get you into a state of ‘flow’. While you are in the flow you forget about everything else.

Afterwards, you’’ll feel competent and capable. It’s a great way to boost your self-esteem. If you don’t have any particular hobbies or pastimes that you enjoy make an effort to try something you’’ve always wanted to try.

Picture yourself doing it, and then give it a try! It doesn’t have to be something big – it can be as simple as joining a walking club.

You’ll find that you are more centered and happier if you do something that puts you in that flow at least once a week.

3. Shift the focus.

It’s been shown that low self-esteem develops hand-in-hand with individuals who put too much focus on themselves. You can gain confidence by doing something that focuses on someone else or even something else.

You’ll find that when you are in a situation where you are meeting new people, you immediately become less nervous when you focus on the person you are meeting.

At the end of the day, you’ve interacted with others and will notice that you feel much lighter.

4. Relax, already!

Learning to become more relaxed is a great life enhancer. People who are more relaxed have fewer problems with their memories and are more likely to take the bumps in the road of life in stride.

The practice of meditation has gained popularity for this reason. You might want to look into Tai Chi, which involves physical relaxation techniques.

Whatever method you decide on, take relaxation seriously. The benefits are just too great to ignore. If you’ve never considered relaxation important, think of it this way: if you can attend to something that results in feeling good, how can you not gain confidence in your personal abilities?

5. Make a list of everything you’ have ever accomplished.

An accomplishment is an accomplishment so go ahead and list even the smallest of your accomplishments. Some things you could put on your list: passed my driver’s test and got my license, scored a goal when I played hockey, managed to save enough money to go on a trip and so on.

These are just a few ideas you can use to gain confidence and boost your self-esteem. Use these ideas as a base point and add these things permanently in your life.

Keep in mind, people are not born with good self-esteem, most of us have to work at it. It develops from your thinking and the things you do daily to make yourself feel good.

Are you working at a job you can’t stand? Would you like to quit, but are afraid you’ll attract more of the same? Often people write to me with questions like: I want out of my present job so badly. How can I speed things up so I can quit?

The best way to shorten the time spent in a negative situation is to focus on all the positives you can. If you can find something to appreciate–even if its appreciating a regular paycheck which DOES cover some of your essentials–you will begin to feel better. As you feel better, you’ll find it easier to notice another thing you appreciate about your job.

What if you can’t find a single positive aspect of your present job? If you don’t change the way you feel about your current job, you will simply attract another miserable job.

“Sometimes it’s easier to act your self into a new way of thinking, than it is to think your self into a new way of acting.” -Jo Berry, author

Years ago, in Los Angeles, California, I heard Jo Berry speak about how to get rid of a bad habit. Jo asked her audience, “How long have you thought about giving up this habit? Has it done any good to just think about it?”

At the time, I had thought and thought about quiting smoking. No matter how much I thought about quitting, I had not made it through one day in over ten years without a cigarette. (Now, through understanding how the Law of Attraction works, I can see that by “pushing against” a habit, I was reinforcing it.)

Jo told us that if we started to ACT LIKE what we wanted to be or do, then our thoughts and feelings would follow. In the flash of a moment, I understood that I could quit smoking by acting like a non-smoker. Of course the next question was, “How does a non-smoker act?” Quickly followed by, “What does a non-smoker do with their hands?” The answer came ever so gently: “They fold their hands.” I figured that folding my hands when I wanted a cigarette was symbolic as well as appropriate! And it worked. I haven’t had or wanted a cigarette since Sept. 13th, 1976.

Instead of trying to change the way you think about your job, begin to get a picture of yourself acting like you enjoy THIS job. What would you say or do differently? Try ACTING in a new way then notice how much better you feel.

Soon you’ll find yourself in a more positive feeling place, offering a new vibration which will either attract different situations in your current job or you’ll find yourself working in a new place that feels great! Who knows–you may end up LOVING your current job!

Rebecca Hanson is a Master Law of Attraction Coach. Thousands of people have enjoyed her talks or articles about real-life experiences and how she found the “nugget of truth” in every situation. Now she has such a deep grasp of how faith, beliefs and thinking work that she is able to lift others to a higher level, very quickly. You can contact Rebecca at Rebecca@YouCanHaveItAll.com or on her website at http://www.youcanhaveitall.com and sign up for her free “Museletter”.

Rebecca has also written a book called, “Law of Attraction for Business: How to create a business or attract a job you LOVE!” To find out more about this book and other information check out http://www.lawofattractionresources.com/