Confidence

Confidence.

According to my dictionary's definition, it means either:

"The state or quality of being certain"

or

"A feeling of assurance, especially of self-assurance."

So in fact, it is merely a 'state' or a 'feeling'.

Now that is good news!

All we have to do is to change our state and we will
become confident!

And that is the BIG secret.

Being confident has nothing to do with our real life
chances of succeeding, but rather it is how we feel at any
one time.

So it's "the state or quality of being certain". But what
shall we be certain of?

Let's say you have a singles match against someone who is
miles better than you.

Are you certain that you are going to win?

No siree, not in the least!!

Are you certain that you are going to give your best in
the game and try and win as many points as possible?

Now we're getting somewhere!

Let's take the opposite, a game against someone who is a
lot weaker than you, a game that you really should win.

Are you certain that you are going to win?

Weeell, pretty much, but there's never any certainty that
you will win any game.

Are you certain that you are going to give your best in
the game and try and win as many points as possible?

Snap! Yes, you are, and from that certainty will come
unstoppable confidence.

Lets take the other definition now...

-- "A feeling of assurance, especially of self-assurance."

OK, back to the dictionary!!

Self assurance:

"freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your
abilities."

Sooo, confidence is not so much about how sure you are
about winning, rather it is the amount of belief that you
have in your abilities.

Putting both of these together, we can define confidence
as "believing for certain that you will try as hard as you
possibly can".

Now that is a much easier kind of confidence to get!!

If you can go into every game having decided that whatever
happens, you will keep going and play your own game to the
best of your abilities, you can relax and not have to
worry about the outcome.

Your confidence will come from knowing that no one can
stop you from trying your hardest, no bad score can stop
you from fighting and giving your all.

You won't look across at your opponent and feel fear,
because you have that inner confidence that whatever they
throw (or hit!) at you, you can only give back what you
have, and that if that is not enough, then you will learn
from that and be stronger for next time.

Remember when you next go on court that confidence comes
from within, and nothing can take it away from you without
your permission.