In my first two passion blogs, I referenced my experience playing football as an analogy for my adoption of a winning mindset. In my first blog, I analyzed fearlessness and in my second I analyzed hard work. In this blog post, I will talk about my best-kept secret to winning, confidence.

There are two types of confidence, real and fake. First, I will discuss real confidence. Real confidence comes from preparation and trust. This is the trait you see in highly successful people. They are bold, prepared, intelligent, charming, and appear put together. This is no secret; everyone knows that confidence is key to success. But I’m not here to talk about real confidence.

I was young, younger than everyone around me. I was a freshman making my first start in my first varsity baseball game. And let me tell you, I was not confident. No way in hell I was ready to face grown men. I had prepared sure, but not at this high of a level. This is where fake confidence comes in. I am not totally sure if this is a real concept but if not, I’m coining it.

I’m sitting in the dugout, sweating, and nervously tapping my foot, doubt fills my mind. I needed to do something and do something fast, or I was going to embarrass myself. So, I lied like I have never lied before. I told myself I was the best baseball player in the entire world. “I’m the best, I’m the best, I’m the best.” I’m pretty sure I repeated it 1000 times. So, by the time I got up to bat in the first inning, my mind was clear. My vision seemed heightened. I was in a flow state. And oh, my lord I hit that baseball so far into the trees. That day I was the best baseball player in the entire world.

The human mind is easily tricked. By having fake confidence in that moment and using positive affirmations I convinced myself I was the man. My brain was fooled, and it acted accordingly. This was a pivotal day because from that moment on I knew I had a superpower. I could convince myself I could do anything, be anything, go anywhere, and be anyone I wanted to be.

Now when I walk into a hard exam, a date, a game, or a room full of people I don’t know I whisper to myself, “I’m the best,” “You got this”, or “This is easy”. Next time it is you vs. someone more prepared, stronger, taller, wealthier, or smarter, use your superpower, confidence; real or fake.