ABSTRACT
A positive person knows that a prerequisite for being able to genuinely encourage others is confidence and respect. Your confidence is a product of having self-esteem or a sense of personal effectiveness—a belief that you are a capable person who is able to function and meet life’s challenges. The positive, mentally healthy person feels good about him or herself and is able to assess personal assets, strengths, and resources instead of only limitations; furthermore, he or she owns, recognizes, and values those assets. Confidence is built as an individual is encouraged to be more independent and responsible. Insofar as an individual is kept dependent upon others, he or she feels inept and discouraged, with reduced self-esteem. Confidence and self-esteem are as essential to an effective mental approach to life as food and water are to physical survival and stability. Self-confidence comes from your personal reservoir of past successes in mental, physical, occupational, social, emotional, or other areas.
