1. Replace the inner critic with an inner coach
Stop telling yourself you can’t do something.  Let your thoughts be proactive – how to do it, what’s necessary to do it better, and the awareness that you can do it. Asking “what’s the most useful thought I can have right now?” puts you in alignment with the inner coach and silences the inner critic.  The inner coach makes choices based on how something serves, not on if it feels good.

2. Give yourself an inner cheerleader
An inner voice saying, “You can do it! You’re amazing! Keep going! Champion!” and perhaps imagining a crowd cheering for you goes a long way, you’d be surprised.

 3.  Build awareness of who you are and what you do
When you know yourself there is no fear of how others perceive you.  When you know what you can do, there is no worry about its value to the world.  Being bright in the world becomes easy.

4. Give yourself permission to fail
By not being afraid of doing something badly, you allow yourself to do it well.  Permission to make mistakes and not be perfect allows you to build confidence as you continue to try.

5. Challenge yourself and meet the challenge
Take a class, start a sport, learn a new skill – anything that takes you outside your comfort zone and shows you that you can do more than you previously thought possible.  Learning a new skill creates a foundational sense of ability that you can then build on.

6. Start looking for how you succeed
Keep a running list in your head of the things you do well, the things that you are naturally good at, and the positive responses you receive.  Assume every nice thing you hear about yourself is true, even if you have trouble believing it.