Emiliano Dominguez

At 20, I was a top 10 prospect in all of Major League Baseball. By 23, I had the highest ERA in the league and had lost all confidence. 5 lessons on confidence I learned going through the worst stretch of my life. - 1. Use It or Lose It A hill I will die on is this ~ Confidence is the single most important trait anyone can have in life, sports, and business. You either exude it in all you do, or it slowly starts to fade away. Trust me, I know. - 2. Your Self Talk Matters I used to see people preaching self-talk and thought it was some hoax. Yeah, it isn't...but it doesn't have to be some elaborate display. The truth is, our mind provides us with hundreds of subtle inputs a day. They are either strengthening your self-belief or hindering it. - 3. Success Isn't A Prerequisite Many of the most confident people I have met have the deepest scars. At 18, I had no scars (failures). At 23, I was littered with them. I tell you this because success breeds confidence, but it isn't a prerequisite. - 4. Who Cares We think everyone is always thinking about us (spotlight effect). Trust me, they aren't. The quickest way to kill your confidence is to let every voice, opinion, and judgment take hold. The best performers (and most confident people) are the epitome of "you do you". - 5. It Is Your Choice Sure, success helps. Yet it is still your choice. I have seen people have success and yet still choose to let doubt kill their confidence. You either choose confidence or you don't. - I share this in the hopes it helps you or someone you know. A promise I made to myself in my worst stretch was this: Never again would I let my confidence fade away. It takes work to regain it, but if I can do it you can too.