Dr. Nate Zinsser, former Director of Performance Psychology at West Point and author of The Confident Mind, shares insights on helping teens navigate the awkward and often scary moments encountered as they step onto the athletic field, the stage, or into the exam room.
Key Takeaways
- How do you instill confidence in your teenager?
- You are a role model to your teens. Are you leading by example?
- Confidence is not a one-time thing. You have to keep working at it.
- When something goes wrong, we tend to focus on the negative and not on the positives.
- Do you compare yourself to others? Do your thoughts beat you up?
- What’s the difference between confidence vs. arrogance?
- You can be confident AND humble.
- It’s okay if you feel nervous. It’s a normal reaction to something that’s important to you.
- Look for evidence around you that supports you, not distracts or hurts you.
- Do vision boards actually work?
- The pursuit of excellence beats us up. That’s just the reality. However, there are tools to keep you pushing forward.
- Dr. Nate answers some quick-fire questions.
- His message on his billboard would be, “Your body does what your brain is full of, be careful how you think.”
- Your thoughts influence everything!
“Your children are sponges; they’re going to soak up what’s around them.”
“Confidence is a choice. It’s not an accident.”
“Everything you’re thinking is having an impact on the sense of certainty, and that has an impact on everything you do.”
