What if We Have Confidence Backwards?

Confidence isn't the first step.

The first step is evidence.

For years, I believed confidence came first.

~Once I felt confident, I'd speak up.

~Once I felt confident, I'd pursue the opportunity.

~Once I felt confident, I'd make the change.

Coaching hundreds of women has taught me something different.

Confidence rarely comes first.

Evidence does.

The women I coach don't suddenly become more capable.

They begin seeing what has been true all along.

~They remember the moments they solved difficult problems.

~The times they led with courage.

~The values they refused to compromise.

~The strengths others have seen in them for years.

That evidence changes how they see themselves.

And when they see themselves differently, they choose differently.

That's agency.

And when those choices begin reflecting who they really are, something

remarkable happens.

Confidence quietly follows.

Maybe confidence isn't something we build.

Maybe it's something we remember.

Question to sit with: What's one piece of evidence about yourself you've forgotten that deserves another look?