Self Confidence

Self Confidence

Ques.: Sometimes I feel so hopeless & pessimistic. What can I do to increase my self-confidence? 

DAISAKU IKEDA: First, please understand, life is long! The way things are now will not last forever. Even if you have problems, even if you have made mistakes or have done things you regret, your whole future still lies ahead of you. Don't worry endlessly over every obstacle or problem. Above all, do not despair or be defeated by your impatience.

Nothing is hopeless. The worst mistake you can make when young is to give up on a dream, to not challenge yourself for fear of failure. The past is the past and the future is the future. Keep moving forward with a steady eye on what is ahead, telling yourself: "I'll start from today!" "I'll start fresh from this moment!"

Happiness in life does not depend on how well things go in your youth. No matter how many mistakes you make, you always have another chance. Be ambitious and keep striving toward the future. If you're not happy with your achievements in school, then give it your all in college. If that's not to your satisfaction, there's still hope after graduation as you challenge yourself as an active member of society. True success in life does not reveal itself until we reach our forties or fifties. If you experience setbacks along the way, continue with a fighting spirit into your forties, fifties, sixties and seventies.

My experience after more than seventy years of life has taught me to clearly recognize the human patterns that determine victory or defeat.

Many of the most famous people in our history appeared far from outstanding in their youth. Winston Churchill was well known for his many failures at school. Mahatma Gandhi wasn't a remarkable student, either; he was shy, timid and a poor speaker.

So don't be too hard on yourself. You are still young - a work in progress and still developing. To be growing and improving are wonderful things. Just continue to press on tenaciously to find your way forward despite the suffering and pain that are a part of youth and growing up. Indeed, that's the only way to grow.

It is important not to lose hope. Losing hope is, in a way, like living in a winter of the spirit The English Romantic poet Shelley said, "If Winter comes, can spring be far behind?" No matter how long and bitter the winter may be, spring always follows. This is the law of the universe, the law of life.

The same applies to us. If we seem to be weathering an endless winter, we mustn’t abandon hope. As long as we have hope, spring is near. It will come without fail.

Spring is a time of blossoming. Every person has a singular mission, his or her individuality and way of living. It's important to recognise that truth and respect it. That is the natural order of things. That is how it works in the world of flowers - and in the world of human beings, different kinds of flowers bloom harmoniously in beautiful profusion."

(Excerpted from The Way of Youth and reprinted with permission from Middleway Press.)