Imagine this day: You wake up in the morning, feeling well-rested and at peace because you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what you need to do to live the life you most want. You have a clear vision of what you want your life to look and feel like and a sound strategy that will get you there. In fact, not only does the future look promising; TODAY feels great. You are proud of yourself. You feel confident in your ability to create and live the life you most want, today and well into the future.

How you feel about yourself plays an important role in your ability to live your best life. With a healthy self-confidence (aka, self-image, self-esteem, self-respect) you’ll take more chances and overcome obstacles -- faster. You’ll set your SELF in motion which will set the world around you in motion. You’ll get what you want and each time you do your confidence will soar and the belief you have in yourself will grow stronger. You’ll see life through the eyes of a person who not only BELIEVES they can do it – you WILL do it!

How do you BOOST your self-confidence? Here are 5 easy-to-try-out tips.

1. Speak well of yourself. In the Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz writes, “Through the word you express your creative power. It is through the word you manifest everything. … your intent manifests through your word. Depending on how it is used, the word can set you free, or it can enslave you even more than you know.”

We become what we think about most of the time. We become what we say about ourselves. If you continually tell yourself you “can’t do something”, or that you “don’t have what it takes”, you’re sure to create that reality for yourself, because that is how you see yourself. On the other hand, if you repeatedly say and think to yourself something like, “I am capable of creating a life I love”, soon you will begin creating a life you love.

Speak well of yourself and you’ll begin believing you do have what it takes to create and live the life you most want.

2. Surround yourself with self-confident people and positive environments. Sounds a bit obvious, but if you have friends that lack confidence, you probably do too. That’s because your environment, what and who you surround yourself with, plays a big role in how you see and treat yourself.

Negative environments are hard to break free from but break free is what you must do. If you’re surrounded by people who criticize others (and you) and speak poorly of themselves – get out! Remove yourself from their company. In fact, no company is better than toxic company. Seek out friends who are confident and you’ll feel your confidence increasing.

3. Take action on what you say you’re going to take action on or don’t say it! Don’t say you’re going to do something unless you really intend to do it. We’ve all experienced the “big talker” – the person who talks about their big plans but never does anything to make them happen. The “big talker” loses face because no one believes they’ll do what they say they’re going to do.

Don't lose face with yourself. ONLY talk about things you intend to take action on or don’t talk about them. Walk your talk. Keep your promises. Be impeccable with your words and you’ll become a person of integrity. Integrity breeds confidence.

4. Accept fear and obstacles as a natural part of life – and growth. Don’t beat yourself up when you find yourself gripped by fear and other emotions. Don’t judge yourself for having these feelings. And don’t feel like you’re inadequate or don’t have what it takes. From time to time, everyone feels afraid, confused and out of sorts. Be aware when these feelings are present but don’t let them stop you. Keep moving forward by telling yourself you’re much more than the obstacles you face and failures you experience.

5. Take time out to focus on all that you have done well. Once a month, take a few moments to write down all that you have done well – it’s probably more than you think. Acknowledge the work you do, your strengths and accomplishments on a regular basis. In doing so, you’ll begin seeing yourself as a person who does things right and gets things done. You’ll begin seeing and appreciating all the good you do.

Practice just one of these tips and you’ll start feeling better about yourself. Practice more than one on a consistent basis and your life will change - guaranteed!

You deserve to live a life you feel great about. Don’t settle for less because you lack the confidence to go after what you want. BOOST your confidence and you’ll wake up each morning feeling like anything’s possible!

“To have that sense of one's intrinsic worth which constitutes self-respect is potentially to have everything…” JOAN DIDION