- Build real, everyday confidence
Real confidence is distinguishable from fake confidence in that, once attained, it is applicable across situations in your life. Confidence is not about "thinking your problems away" or "staying positive and cheery." It is about pursuing a skill (a sport, public speaking, success in the dating world…), having a successful time at it (even on a small scale), and applying that newfound confidence in your life so that you take more risks the second time around.
Build confidence from the ground-up. Pick a skill you want to build on in your life, and design a real-world strategy that will enable you to master that skill. Seek out opportunities to be successful, and build on these successes. That is real confidence-the kind that cannot be taken away.
- Don't be afraid to be passionate
In your pursuit of happiness, ask yourself this question on a daily basis when faced with a "risk" of some sort: What's the worst that can happen? Usually, the "worst-case" scenario is actually both tolerable and familiar (as in being rejected. We've all experienced it in some fashion and lived to fight another day). So really, what is the big deal?
Pursue that which you love with focused abandon. Don't be afraid to express that passion, and to let it guide you. Remember, it is emotion that moves us. Logic only serves to make us ponder things awhile. Passion inspires, and is the fuel for most success in our lives.
- Get a sense of humor
One of the worst mental health issues I have ever come across in any individual is the inability to laugh at oneself. There is a direct correlation between taking yourself too seriously and being stressed out. Likewise, there is a direct correlation between having perspective (ala humor) and feeling happy and well-adjusted.
If you can't laugh at the everyday stupidity we all experience, either firsthand or not, then you really need to either visit your local counselor or get a job at the nearest post office.
