“Living right is easy. What goes wrong. your causing it.” Son Volt

Confidence is important – everyone should have a healthy serving for themselves – and it should be used wisely. Overconfidence tends to be its own reward (think ricochet!) and should be avoided.

Overconfidence has two forms: genuinely over-exaggerated faith in self (I CAN DO ANYTHING!! Hold my beer and watch this!!), and bravado meant to hide a lack of true confidence (OF COURSE I CAN!! Maybe I can google it?). Both forms can be dangerous, leading you to take challenges and risks well-beyond your abilities; if you are very lucky, only your pride will be hurt. Do not allow the churning energy around you to inflate your taste for the foolhardy; remember the importance of discretion in valor.

Although we often see boldness or arrogance in its stead (i.e. your basic glamour to help you fake-it-til-you-make-it), true confidence has no substitute, Be confident in what you do – know your inventory and act accordingly.

• Can I help you edit your pages? Of course I can.
• Can I walk a tightrope? No. Call The Flying Wallendas.
• Will I help you interpret your dreams? Absolutely. Tell me as much as you remember.
• Will I help you diagnose your rash? Not at all. Make an appointment with a dermatologist.

HANDY TIP: Do not invest more of yourself than you can afford to lose.

Confidence can have a draw back; when we know we should “win” we are not good with “defeat.” As a result, we are reluctant to cut our losses, instead continuing to invest ourselves (time, attention, engagement,energy) more heavily. This strategy of “throwing good after bad” almost never yields a positive return. Do not turn a lack of success into outright failure by draining your resources to no positive end. There is no shame in admitting there are some things beyond your control.

Stop the bleeding and move on.