9 Myths About Confidence That Are Holding You Back

9 Myths About Confidence That Are Holding You Back9 Myths About Confidence That Are Holding You BackHave you ever met somebody, either in a social or professional situation, and been amazed at how much confidence that person projected? Did you then walk away from that encounter and tell yourself, he was probably born confident, or shes obviously an extrovert, so of course shes confident, to find a rational reason for this persons perceived social advantage?Confidence is something that everyone strives for at work and in life. Yet, as much as its something many of us endeavor to get, there are also a lot of misconceptions or myths surrounding confidence. And if you start to believe these myths, you can feel that confidence is unattainable, or just not for you. Today, I want to take you through nine of these confidence myths to overturn them once and for all. Its time to step over these misconceptions and allow yourself to feel confident inside so you can move forward and achieve the g oals youve set for your life.Myth 1 You Need to Be Born ConfidentAbsolutely not Nobody is born confident. Confidence is something you develop as you go through life and as you put yourself in new situations or new environments. When you see others who ooze confidence, they werent born that way. They acquired their confidence by confronting challenging situations, pushing their boundaries, and doing things they thought theyd never be able to do- all things you can do to grow your confidence as well.Myth 2 You Cant Fake ConfidenceWrong. Just ask Amy Cuddy and her colleagues from Harvard University and Columbia University, who studied the impact of using specific poses on your own feelings of power. In summary, they found when you adopt high-power poses for two minutes, it increases your level of testosterone, decreases your level of cortisol, and makes you feel more powerful and less stressed. Basically, you can make yourself feel confident by simply changing your body language For mo re, check out Ashley Coberts advice on how you can fake more confidence in meetings.Myth 3 You Have to Be Successful to Be ConfidentNo way In fact, this works the other way around you have to be confident before you reach success. Otherwise, youll never believe that you can achieve it. Confidence is something you have to tap into and find at the beginning of your journey toward success. Even if all you can tap into is a small amount of confidence, thats okay. As you move closer toward your goals, that inner confidence will naturally grow stronger and stronger.Myth 4 You Have to Be an Extrovert to Be ConfidentWrong. Being an extrovert doesnt always mean youre confident. You can be an unsure extrovert, just as you can be a confident introvert. Most people believe you have to be an extrovert to be confident because we often associate being an extrovert with being the center of attention or life of the party. But confidence isnt all about being the most talkative person in the room. Its about feeling comfortable in your own skin and being happy with the achievements youve made in your life.Myth 5 Confident People Have No InsecuritiesUntrue. Insecurities are a part of everyday life. Whenever were faced with the unknown, its human nature to feel a little insecure. Just because you might have self-doubt or feel unsure when youre changing jobs or moving to a new city, it doesnt mean that youre not confident. The key is to keep moving forward anyway. Myth 6 Confident People Are Confident all the TimeAbsolutely not There can be periods of your life when youre full of confidence and you feel you can take on the world. Then, therell be other times when uncertainty and self-doubt kick in. When I left Australia the last time to move to France, I went from feeling confident and at home to being uncertain almost all of the time. What I discovered is that confidence doesnt hang around 100% of the time. It varies throughout life. And when you start to feel a little less confide nt, thats when you really know youre pushing the barriers of your comfort zone- and umgebung the stage to grow your confidence down the road.Myth 7 Confidence Means You Like Public SpeakingWrong. Barbra Streisand, who is known to suffer from stage fright, is a perfect example of this. Yet, she gets up on stage and performs with outstanding grace. Confidence doesnt mean you have to like public speaking. But it does mean that you can find the faith to get up on that stage anyway. Why? Because youve practiced enough times to make yourself confident. Myth 8 Confident People are ArrogantUntrue. You can absolutely project confidence and authority without coming off as arrogant. This myth usually arises because people think they have to boast about their life to appear more confident to others. But in reality, its when you put yourself and your life aside and focus on the other person instead that you project the most confidence. Confident people dont have to be the focus of the room. They re happy and proud of their life achievements, so they dont need reassurance from others. Myth 9 You Have to Take Big Risks to Be ConfidentWrong. Its not the size of the risk thats important. Whats important is whether youre pushing the barriers of your own comfort zone and doing things that are new for you. If you dont often push your comfort zone, then a simple change, such as talking to the barista at your local coffee shop, will probably be a big enough risk for you to feel more confident. Then as you get more comfortable with smaller changes, you can move on to riskier ones. Photo of powerful hands courtesy of Shutterstock.

United States Military Special Operations Groups

United States Military Special Operations GroupsUnited States Military Special Operations GroupsLock up a bunch of military members in a room and ask them to debate which Special Operations Group is the best. However, dont make any plans for the immediate future. Theyll still be arguing about it when the beer and potato chips run out. The truth is there arent any best. Its like asking which is the best doctor, a brain surgeon or a heart surgeon? Both are doctors. Both graduated college, and then from medical school and then successfully completed a residency. Both have the skills and knowledge of general medicine. Both can diagnose and treat many illnesses, even those outside of their primary specialty. However, each is best in their specific specialties. Special Operations Forces are just like that. Each is highly trained in general combat and small unit tactics. Each one can be used for many general special operations missions. However, each Special Operations Group is primarily tr ained for specific types of missions. If one wished to attach explosives under the water line on an enemy ship, for example, Army Rangers would bedrngnis be the best choice. In this instance, the Special Operations Force with the most training and experience in underwater combat operations would be Navy SEALS. On the other hand, if one needed to deploy a highly trained light infantry force well inland, behind enemy lines, to destroy a significant military target, you cant do much better than a company of Army Rangers. Lets take a look at United States Military Special Operations Groups Army Special Forces Its quite common for the layman (and the media) to refer to all Special Operations Forces as Special Forces. However, there is only one real Special Forces, and thats the United States Army Special Forces, sometimes referred to as the Green Berets. The other elite military groups are mora properly referred to as Special Operations Forces, or Special Ops. It may interest you to know that many Special Forces soldiers dont like the nickpersonenname Green Beret. The first Special Forces unit in the Army welches formed on 11 June 1952, when the 10th Special Forces Group was activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The primary mission of the Army Special Forces is to teach in the middle of combat missions. They go right into combat situations with military members of friendly developing nations and teach them technical fighting and military skills, as well as helping them resolve human rights issues during combat operations. However, like all Special Operations Groups, thats notlage all they do. Thats just what they do best. When not teaching foreign military groups how to sneak up on the enemy and kill them without dying themselves, Army Special Forces have four other missions that they do very well unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, direct action, and counter-terrorism. Unconventional warfare means they are capable of conducting military and par amilitary actions behind enemy lines. Such actions could include sabotage or helping convince rebel leaders to fight on our side. Because all Special Forces Soldiers are qualified in a foreign language, they are tops in many aspects of reconnaissance. They can intermingle with the local population and discover information that would be impossible with other types of recon. Until relatively recently, one could not enlist into the Special Forces. One had to be in the rank of E-4 to E-7 (for enlisted members) just to apply. Thats still the requirement for those who are already in the service that want to apply for Special Forces. However, in the past year or two, the Army initiated the 18X (Special Forces) Enlistment Program. Under this program, an applicant will be trained as an Infantry (11B) Soldier, then sent to jump school (parachute training). He will then be guaranteed the opportunity to try outfor Special Forces. This means he will have to complete the Special Forces Assessmen t and Selection (SFAS) program, which has a very high wash-out rate, even for experienced soldiers. If, by some chance, the wet-behind-the-ears recruit can make it through SFAS, he must graduate the Special Forces Qualification Course, which (depending on the exact Special Forces Job he is training for) is between 24 and 57 weeks long. Finally, he must learn a foreign language at the Defense Language Institute. Depending on the language, this training can take up to a year. If he fails any part of this training and selection process, he is immediately reclassified as a 11B Infantry. The Army knows that the vast majority of those who sign up on the18X Special Forces Enlistment Programwill fail. However, lots of young high-school recruits walk into the Army Recruiting Office and want to be the next Rambo. The 18X programs give the Army a fairly significant pool of volunteers who will ultimately become Infantry Troops. The Army has five active duty Special Forces Groups and two Nationa l Guard Special Forces Groups. Each Group is responsible for a certain part of the world. The seven Groups and their areas of responsibility are 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) at Ft. Lewis, WA, responsible for the Pacific and Eastern Asia3rd SFG at Ft. Bragg, NC, responsible for the Caribbean and Western Africa5th SFG at Ft. Campbell, KY, responsible for Southwest Asia and Northeastern Africa7th SFG at Ft. Bragg, NC, responsible for Central and South America10th SFG at Ft. Carson, CO, responsible for Europe19th SFG (National Guard)20th SPG (National Guard) Army Rangers The 75th Ranger Regiment is a flexible, highly trained, and rapidly deployable light infantry force with specialized skills that enable it to be employed against a variety of conventional and special operations targets. Rangers specialize in dropping in uninvited to spoil your entire day. They generally practice to parachute into the middle of the action, to perform strikes and ambushes, and to capture enemy airfi elds. With Americas entry into the Second World War, Rangers came forth to add to the pages of history. Major General Lucian K. Truscott, U.S. Army Liaison with the British General Staff, submitted proposals to General George Marshall that we undertake immediately an American unit along the lines of the British Commandos on May 26, 1942. A cable from the War Department quickly followed to Truscott and Major General Russell P. Hartle, commanding all Army Forces in Northern Ireland, authorizing the activation of the First U.S. Army Ranger Battalion. The name Ranger was selected by General Truscott because the name Commandos rightfully belonged to the British, and we sought a name more typically American. It was, therefore, fit that the organization that was destined to be the first of the American Ground Forces to battle Germans on the European continent should be called Rangers in compliment to those in American history who exemplified the high standards of courage, initiative, deter mination, ruggedness, fighting ability, and achievement. The members of the 1st Ranger Battalion were all hand-picked volunteers 50 participated in the gallant Dieppe Raid on the northern coast of France with British and Canadian commandos. The 1st, 3rd, and 4th Ranger Battalions participated with distinction in the North African, Sicilian, and Italian campaigns. Darbys Ranger Battalions spearheaded the Seventh Army landing at Gela and Licata during the Sicilian invasion and played a key role in the subsequent campaign, which culminated in the capture of Messina. They infiltrated German lines and mounted an attack against Cisterna, where they virtually annihilated an entire German parachute regiment during close-in, night, bayonet, and hand-to-hand fighting. Most people have heard of Ranger School. Its a very tough, 61-day course. Many times, the other services even send their Special Ops people through this course. What you may not know is that not all combat soldiers assigned to a Ranger Battalion have gone through this course. Ranger School is designed to train NCOs (Noncommissioned Officers) and Commissioned Officers to lead Ranger and Army Infantry Platoons. New soldiers (mostly in the rank of E-1 to E-4) assigned to a Ranger Battalion must first be airborne qualified (go through jump school). They then attend the three-week Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP). To successfully complete RIP, the candidate must achieve a minimum 60% score on theArmy Physical Fitness Test(in the 17 to 21 age group), must complete a five-mile run at no slower than 8 minutes per mile, must complete the Army Combat Water Survival Test, CWST (15 meters in battle-dress-uniform BDUs, combat boots, and combat gear), must complete two out of three road marches (one of which must be the 10-mile march), and must receive a minimum score of 70% on all written examinations. Those who pass the RIP are assigned to one of the three Army Ranger Battalions. At a later time in their career (u sually once they make NCO status), they may be selected to attend the actual Ranger Course. To qualify for the Ranger Course, NCOs and officers must first complete the Ranger Orientation Program (ROP). Minimum qualification standards are 80% on APFT by age group for all officers and combat arms NCOs70% on APFT by age group for all non-combat arms NCOs6 chin-ups12-mile road march with 45-pound rucksack within 3 hours, for all officers and combat arms NCOs10-mile road march with 45-pound rucksack within 2.5 hours for all non-combat arms NCOsSuccessful completion of CWST (Combat Water Survival Training)70% on Ranger History examination5-mile run in less than 40 minutes70% on self-paced Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) examination Psychological assessment by a U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) psychologistSuccessful recommendation from RASP board interview The Ranger Course was conceived during the Korean War and was known as the Ranger Training Command. On 10 October 195 1, the Ranger Training Command was inactivated and became the Ranger Department, a branch of the Infantry School atFort Benning, Georgia. Its purpose was, and still is, to develop combat skills of selected officers and enlisted men by requiring them to perform effectively as small unit leaders in a realistic tactical environment, under mental and physical stress approaching that found in actual combat. Emphasis is placed on the development of individual combat skills and abilities through the application of the principles of leadership while further developing military skills in the planning and conduct of dismounted infantry, airborne, airmobile, and amphibious independent squad and platoon-size operations. Graduates return to their units to pass on these skills. From 1954 to the early 1970s, the Armys goal, though seldom achieved, was to have one Ranger qualified NCO per infantry platoon and one officer per company. In an effort to better achieve this goal, in 1954, the Army requi red all combat arms officers to become Ranger/ Airborne qualified. The Ranger course has changed little since its inception. Until recently, it was an eight-week course divided into three phases. The course is now 61 days in duration and divided into three phases as follows Benning leiter(4th Ranger Training Battalion). Designed to develop the military skills, physical and mental endurance, stamina, and confidence a small-unit combat leader must have to successfully accomplish a mission. It also teaches the Ranger student to properly maintain himself, his subordinates, and his equipment under difficult field conditions.Mountain Phase(5th Ranger Training Battalion).The Ranger student gains proficiency in the fundamentals, principles, and techniques of employing small combat units in a mountainous environment. He develops his ability to lead squad-sized units and to exercise control through planning, preparation, and execution phases of all types of combat operations, including ambush es and raids, plus environmental and survival techniques. Florida Phase(6th Ranger Training Battalion).The emphasis during this phase is to continue the development of combat leaders, capable of operating effectively under conditions of extreme mental and physical stress. The training further develops the students ability to plan and lead small units on independent and coordinated airborne, air assault, amphibious, small boat, and dismounted combat operations in a mid-intensity combat environment against a well-trained, sophisticated enemy. The Rangers used to be known by their distinctive black berets. However, a couple of years ago, the Army Chief of Staff made the decision to issue black berets to all Army soldiers, so the Ranger beret color was changed to tan. There are three Ranger Battalionswhich all fall under the command of the 75th Ranger Regiment, headquartered at Fort Benning, GA The 1st Ranger Battalion at Hunter Army Air Field, GA, the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Fort Lewis , WA, and the 3rd Ranger Battalion at Fort Benning, GA. Delta Everybodys heard of Delta Force. However, most of what youve heard is probably wrong. Almost every aspect of Delta is highly classified, including their training program and organizational structure. Back in 1977, when hijacking aircraft and taking hostages seemed to be the in thing, an Army Special Forces officer, Colonel Charles Beckwith, returned from a special assignment with the British Special Air tafelgeschirr (SAS), with a unique idea. He sold the idea of a highly trained military hostage-rescue force, patterned after the SAS, to the Pentagon, and they approved. The1st Special Forces Operational Detachment, Delta was created. Most military experts believe that Delta is organized into three operating squadrons, with several specialized groups (called troops) assigned to each squadron. Each troop is reported to specialize in a main aspect of special operations, such as HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) parachute operations or scuba operations. Delta is the most covert of the U.S. Military Special Operations Forces. Delta is sent when there is a tough objective, and we dont want anyone to know that there was U.S. Military involvement. Delta is rumored to have their own fleet of helicopters which are painted in civilian colors and have fake registration numbers. Their special training facility is reported to be the best special operations training facility in the world, including a close-quarters-battle indoor facility nicknamed the House of Horrors. Delta recruits twice per year from U.S. Army units worldwide. After a very extensive screening process, applicants reportedly attend a two- or three-week special assessment and selection course. Those who make it through the course enter the Delta Special Operators Training Course, which is estimated to be about six weeks in duration. Delta Force is primarily made up of hand-picked volunteers from the 82nd Airborne, Army Special Forces, and Army Rangers. Delta is said to be the best in the world at close-quarters combat. The highly classified Delta operations facility is reported to be in a remote location of Fort Bragg, NC. Navy SEALS Todays SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) teams trace their history to the first group of volunteers selected from the Naval Construction Battalions (SeaBees) in the spring of 1943. These volunteers were organized into special teams called Navy Combat Demolition Units (NCDUs). The units were tasked with reconnoitering and clearing beach obstacles for troops going ashore during amphibious landings and evolved into Combat Swimmer Reconnaissance Units. The NCDUs distinguished themselves during World War II in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. In 1947, the Navy organized its first underwater offensive strike units. During the Korean Conflict, these Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) took part in the landing at Inchon as well as other missions, including demolition raids on bridges and tunnels access ible from the water. They also conducted limited minesweeping operations in harbors and rivers. During the 1960s, each branch of the armed forces formed its own counterinsurgency force. The Navy utilized UDT personnel to form separate units called SEAL teams. January 1962 marked the commissioning of SEAL Team ONE in the Pacific Fleet and SEAL Team TWO in the Atlantic Fleet. These teams were developed to conduct unconventional warfare, counter-guerilla warfare, andclandestine operationsin both blue and brown water environments. In 1983, existing UDTs were re-designated as SEAL teams and/or SEAL Delivery Vehicle Teams and the requirement forhydrographic reconnaissanceand underwater demolition became SEAL missions. SEALteams go through what is considered by some to be the toughest military training in the world. Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training is conducted at the Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado. Students encounter obstacles that develop and test their stamina , leadership, and ability to work as a team. The most important trait that distinguishes Navy SEALs from other Special Operations Groups is that SEALs are maritime special forces, as they strike from and return to the sea. SEALs take their name from the elements in and from which they operate. Their stealth and clandestine methods of operation allow them to conduct multiple missions against targets that larger forces cannot approach undetected. Like the Army Special Forces Enlistment Program, the Navy has a program calledSEAL Challenge, which provides an opportunity for applicants to enlist with a guarantee to try out to become a Navy SEAL. Just to qualify to attend SEAL training, applicants must pass a Physical Fitness Screening which includes the following 500-yard swim using breast and/or sidestroke in under 12 minutes and 30 seconds (10-minute rest)Perform a minimum of 42 push-ups in 2 minutes (2-minute rest)Perform a minimum of 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes (2-minute rest)Perform a m inimum of 6 pull-ups (no time limit) (10-minute rest)Run 1 miles wearing boots and long pants in under 11 minutes and 30 seconds The screening is just a warm-up for BUD/S. BUD/S is about six months long, and divided into three phases First Phase(Basic Conditioning) First Phase trains, develops, and assesses SEAL candidates in physical conditioning, water competency, teamwork, and mental tenacity. This phase is eight weeks long. Physical conditioning with running, swimming, and calisthenics grows harder as the weeks progress. Trainees participate in weekly four-mile timed runs in boots, timed obstacle courses, swim distances up to two miles wearing fins in the ocean, and learn small boat seamanship. The first three weeks of First Phase prepares candidates for the fourth week, better known as Hell Week. During this week, applicants participate in five and one-half days of continuous training, with a maximum of four hours sleep total. This week is designed as the ultimate test of ones physical and mental motivation while in First Phase. Second Phase(Diving) Diving Phase trains, develops, and qualifies SEAL candidates as competent basic combat swimmers. This phase is eight weeks long. During this period, physical training continues and becomes even more intensive. Second Phase concentrates on combat SCUBA. This is a skill that separates SEALs from all other Special Operations forces.Third Phase(Land Warfare) Third Phase trains, develops and qualifies SEAL candidates in basic weapons, demolition, and small unit tactics. This phase of training is nine weeks in length. Physical training continues to become more strenuous as the run distance increases and the minimum passing times are lowered for the runs, swims, and obstacle course. Third Phase concentrates on teaching land navigation, small-unit tactics, patrolling techniques, rappelling, marksmanship, and military explosives. The final three and one-half weeks of the Third Phase are spent on San Clemente Island, wh ere students apply all the techniques they have acquired during training. Following Phase III, SEALS attend Army Jump School and then are assigned to a SEAL Team for an additional 6 to 12 months of on-the-job training. SEAL West Coast Teams are based in San Diego, California, while the East Coast Teams make their home in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Luck Why you should embrace its role in your career

Luck Why you should embrace its role in your careerLuck Why you should embrace its role in your careerEven though we experience the role of luck in our lives over and over again, we are often inclined to discount it. We want to believe that successes are earned and that failures are deserved.Its often discomforting to think that things we canbedrngnis anticipate or control affect our lives, but they do. Whats most important is how wereact.Luck is astep on the career ladderLuck plays a role in almost every job interview and job offer- whether it is for the position ofclerk, consultant, or CEO.Theres an element of chance in how successfully a candidate navigates the job-search gauntlet. (Remember that interview question you wish you had answered differently?)And theres also a bit of luck in how well the company evaluates a candidate. (Remember that interviewer who welches having a bad day?)Uncertainty makes it mora likely that candidates and companies make errors in how they rate each other. This means that people who are hired often dont do as well as expected. And companies that looked great during the job search often disappoint.A particularly dramatic example is Yahoo,which spent almost$1 billion over a decade on five CEOs (four of them outsiders). In every case, the gap between expectation and reality turned out to be enormous.Yahoo also walked away from opportunities. In 2002, Google wanted about $3 billion, but Yahoodidnt take the deal. Today, Google is worth more than $500 billion. Yahoo also had a deal to buy Facebook for $1 billion, but the dealfell thoughwhen Yahoo tried to cut the price. Facebook is nowworthmore than $350 billion.It happened to meMy entire career isthe result of several happy accidents.As a student atHarvey Mudd College, I decided to join the debate team. The national debate topic was on economics, something I knew nothing about. The captain of the team the previous year, Orley Ashenfelter, was atPrinceton getting a PhD in economics a nd helped us prepare.After this intoxicating taste of economics, I took two or three economics courses and decided that I really liked the subject. I took one class simply because it was the only economics class that fit in my schedule.That class happened to be taught by Orme Phelps, a no-nonsense professor whose class made meappreciateeconomics because it was rigorous and could make a real difference in peoples lives. He also showed me that being a professor is a terrific job.I decided to go to Yale to get a PhD in economics and become a professor.Who knows what paths my life would have taken if economics had not been the debate topic, if Orley had not inspired me, orif my schedule had not directed me to Orme, who changed my life? I was truly lucky.Once we recognize the ubiquitous role of uncertainty in our lives, we can anticipate that there will be surprises, and we can recognize luck for what it is when it does happen.How can we apply this lesson to our careers?I love the saying , If you love your job, you will never work a day of your life. When you have the good fortune to find the perfect job- something you are really good at and look forward to every morning- be humble and grateful for your good fortune.If your job does not work out as well as you hoped, dont assume that its your fault. It is to be expected in the uncertain world in which we live in. The good news is that you can try again- and again- until you find something you love.Uncertainty is a package of pitfalls and opportunities. Avoid the pitfalls and seize the opportunities. Thats the true secret to luck.Gary Smith is the Fletcher Jones Professor of Economics at Pomona College and the author of What the Luck? The Surprising Role of Chance in Our Everyday Lives