佚名/Anonymous
One of the most important attributes an individual can have is confidence. Confidence is invaluable in every area of life, but in business or in achieving any degree of greatness, it is absolutely essential. Unfortunately, there are few places we can go to learn this essential skill. Yet, it is a skill and, as such, can be developed with the right tools.
The first tool for gaining confidence is knowledge. Knowledge of your own strengths and limitations, and knowledge of the area in which you wish to excel. But knowledge alone isn't enough. Knowledge leads to confdence only when it is validated by experience. We test the validity of what we think or believe by putting the theory into actual practice and gathering data or feedback from the experience. If the feedback is positive, we assume our theories are correct and act accordingly. If the feedback is negative, the bold among us will adjustour course, while the more timid often allow the negative feedback to stop them cold.
Confidence can be gained by knowing, understanding and correctly applying the following formulas and factors：
（1）Knowledge+Experience+Positive Feedback=Confdence.
（2）Positive feedback comes from successful outcomes.
（3）Successful outcomes are the result of consistent practice and repeated attempts.
（4）Repeated attempts are possible only when we believe we will eventually succeed.
The formula seems to say that we must believe in our ability to succeed before we have experienced any semblance of success, and that is true. That's where the knowledge part of the confdence formula comes in, and why it is the frst equation in the formula. Before we can believe we will succeed without ever having made an attempt, we must have some knowledge as to what success entails and what strengths and abilities we bring to the mix. We must also know the truth about“failure”.
Failure is not the result of attempting to achieve a goal and falling short of the mark. Failure occurs when we allow falling short of the mark to cause us to quit trying. Actually, there are only two ways to fail.（1）Give up before you reach a goal you really want or（2）continue on a path that is wrong for you because you made a wrong choice initially and believe the erroneous choice is the one you must stay with.
Suppose, for example, you got into your car intending to meet a friend at an unfamiliar location. You get turned around on the way there and get lost.
In failure formula number one you discover you are lost andattempt to correct your course. However, you are too far off course for just one correction to get you back on track, so you make another correction and another one. After three or four corrections you decide you will never be able to fnd your way, so you give up, park your car, and never reach your destination.
In failure formula number two you decide that even though you made a wrong turn, you must stick with it because to make a new choice would mean you failed when you made the original decision that got you lost. So you continue down the wrong road, knowing it's wrong, but refusing to make an alteration because you've already made a choice, however wrong it may be.
Both scenarios sound pretty absurd in that context, but the world is full of people who give up and quit before reaching their goal, and who stay with bad choices long after they have discovered they are bad.
To ensure success you must be willing to alter your course and keep altering it, and to try again and again, as many times as it takes, to reach your destination. Whether you reach it or not will depend on your belief in your ability to eventually arrive, and that brings us back to the confdence formula.
The faith to keep trying ultimately comes from knowing yourself and your abilities, and knowing how to use them most effectively. In the hustle-bustle of today's world, we sometimes forget to take a thorough look at our most valuable asset—ourselves. Only with self-awareness and understanding can we come to believe in our ability to fnd the right solution and to arrive at our goals.
People who don't know themselves are easily side-tracked. They have no well-defned personal boundaries and no center of power. A thorough and accurate self-assessment can provide the compass weneed to get and stay on track. Without a center of power and personal boundaries to guide us, there is no way we can achieve our goals because there is no way to know for sure what our goals are, or should be.
Happy, centered, well-directed people are people, who know their own core being and honor it. These are the people who have the basic tools to attempt new things, to set new goals, to persist in pursuing them. These are the people who succeed. They succeed because every achieved goal increases their faith in their ability to succeed and enables them to try greater and greater things. The happy result is a high degree of self-confidence and, with sufficient self-confdence, success is certain.
一個人最重要的品質是：信心。在人生的每一個領域，它都具有無法估量的價值。特別是在商業或任何偉大的成就當中，它顯得更為重要。不幸的是，這個重要的技能我們卻幾乎無處可學。但是，它既然是一項技能，隻要方法得當，就能培養起來。
知識是獲取信心的第一種工具。認知自身的強項和弱項，認知你想有所成就的領域。但是，隻有知識還不夠，知識隻有通過實踐證明以後，才能帶來自信。我們把所想的或者所信仰的理論，放到真正的實際中去證實，從經驗中收集數據或者反饋信息。如果反饋的信息是積極的，我們的理論就是正確的，從而采取相應的行動；如果反饋的信息是消極的，我們當中勇敢的人會改變局勢，而更多的怯懦者通常會被這些消極的反饋阻撓，停止了前進的腳步。
通過了解、理解和正確運用下麵這些原則和因素，通常可以獲得信心。
（1）知識+經驗+積極反饋=自信。
（2）成功的結果帶來積極的反饋。
（3）成功的結果源自不懈的努力和反複的嚐試。
（4）唯有相信自己終會成功，才能不斷嚐試。
這個原則似乎表明，我們必須相信自己有能力成功，才有可能經曆某些成功。確實如此。信心原則中的知識部分就源於此，也是原則中第一個等式成立的原因。在沒有任何嚐試就相信我們會成功前，我們必須擁有一些知識，如成功需要什麽，要有怎樣的優勢和能力的綜合作用，也必須了解“失敗”的真相。
嚐試了，卻沒能如願達到目標的結果，不是失敗。隻有當我們承認達不到，並放棄嚐試時，才會出現失敗。事實上，隻有兩種方式會導致失敗。（1）在達到真正想要的目標前，你放棄了；（2）繼續在錯誤的道路上前進，因為，你最初作出的選擇是錯誤的，但你仍執拗地堅持。
舉個例子，假設你開車去見一個朋友，但地點不熟悉。你走錯了方向，迷路了。
在第一個失敗的原則中，你發現自己迷失了方向，並試圖改正路線。但是，你偏離得太遠，因而不能一次性改正，回到正軌。所以，你要一次又一次地改正。三四次以後，你確信永遠無法找到自己的路。於是，你放棄了，停下了車，你的目的地將永遠無法到達。
在第二個失敗原則中，盡管你走錯了方向，但你必須堅持。因為作出一個新選擇，意味著你作出的最初選擇讓你迷失了方向，你失敗了。所以，你堅持在錯誤的道路上，盡管知道它是錯誤的，錯得有多嚴重，但仍然拒絕改變。
上文中提到的這兩種假設聽起來很荒謬，但是，在達到目標前就放棄或離開，或者仍堅持已經發現的錯誤的人，在這個世界上還有很多。
你必須願意改變你的路線，並且堅持改變，一次又一次地根據需要進行調整，去接近你的目標，才能確保成功。你是否能達到目標，取決於你認為自己終能成功的信念。這就又給我們帶來了信心原則。
你對自己和自身能力的了解，以及懂得如何使它們產生更大的效用，會產生一種信念，讓你堅持不懈地去嚐試。在當今這個匆忙的世界，有時，我們忽略了認真去審視自己最有價值的資產——自身。隻有自知和自我了解，能讓我們相信，自己擁有找到正確的解決方法和達到目的的能力。
不了解自己的人容易走彎路，他們的個人範疇模糊，精力沒有集中。深入而準確的自我評估，可以為我們實現目標導航。沒有核心力量和明確的個人界限的引導，我們絕不可能成功，因為我們的目標是什麽，或者應該怎麽樣，連自己都不清楚。
了解並尊重自己本質的人，才會開心快樂、精力集中、目標明確。他們有基本的工具嚐試新事物，樹立新目標，並持之以恒地去追求，這些人才會獲得成功。他們成功是因為每一個目標的達到，增強了他們對自己有能力成功的信心，使他們更努力地去嚐試更多。充分的自信會產生好的結果，有充分的自信，就一定能獲得成功。
W詞匯筆記
validate['v?lideit]v.使生效；證實；驗證
例 The running results of the models validate the method.
實際運行結果驗證了該方法的有效性。
semblance['sembl?ns]n.外貌；假裝；類似
例 She put on a semblance of anger.
她裝出生氣的樣子。
initially[i'ni??li]adv.最初；首先；開頭
例 It initially looked quite lethal, and caused panic.
最初看上去它非常致命，並造成了恐慌。
centered['sent?d]adj.居中的；有圓心的
例 How is ability attention centered a bit, learn well?
怎樣才能集中一點注意力，好好學習？
S小試身手
一個人最重要的品質是：信心。在人生的每一個領域，它都具有無法估量的價值。
譯________________________________________
一次又一次地根據需要進行調整，去接近你的目標，才能確保成功。
譯________________________________________
了解並尊重自己本質的人，才會開心快樂、精力集中、目標明確。
譯________________________________________
P短語家族
You got into your car intending to meet a friend at an unfamiliar location.
intend to：打算做……；想要……
造________________________________________
To ensure success you must be willing to alter your course and keep altering it.
to ensure：確保；保證
造________________________________________