Believe in yourself! Have faith in your ability. You cannot be successful or happy without humble but reasonable confidence in your powers. But with sound self-confidence, you can succeed. A sense of inferiority and inadequacy interferes with attaining your hope, but self-confidence leads to self-realization and achievement. Because of the importance of this mental attitude, this book will help you believe in yourself and release your inner power.
It is appalling to realize the number of pathetic people who are hampered and made miserable by a malady popularly called the inferiority complex. Still, you need not suffer from this trouble. When proper steps are taken, they can be overcome. You can develop creative Faith in yourself – justified faith.
Self Believe and Faith:
Let’s understand it through a simple story of businessmen. After speaking to a convention of businessmen in a city auditorium, I was on the stage greeting people when a man approached me with a peculiar intensity of manner and asked, “May I talk with you about a matter of desperate importance to me?”
I asked him to remain until the others had gone, and then we went backstage and down. “I am in this town to handle the most important business deal of my life”, he explained. “If I succeed, it means everything to me IF fail, I am done for.”
I suggested that he relax a little and that nothing was quite that final. If he succeeded, that was Final. That was fine. If he did not well, tomorrow was another day.
“I have a terrible disbelief in myself,” he said dejectedly. “I have no confidence. I just don’t believe I can put it over. I am very discouraged and depressed. In fact” he lamented “I am just about sunk. I am Forty years old. Why is it that all my life I have been tormented by inferiority feeling by lack of confidence, by self- doubt? I listened to your speech tonight in which you talked about the power of positive thinking, and I want to ask how I can get some faith in myself.”
“There are two steps to take”, I replied “First it is important to discover why you have these feelings of no power. That requires analysis and will take time. We must approach the maladies of our emotional life as physicians probe to find something wrong physically. This cannot be done immediately, certainly not in our brief interview tonight, and it may require treatment to reach a permanent solution. But to pull you through this immediate problem I shall give you a formula that will work if you use it.
“As you walk down the street tonight I suggest that you repeat certain words which I shall give you repeat certain words which I shall give you. Say them over several times after you get into bed. When you awaken tomorrow, repeat them three times before arising. On the way to your appointment say them three additional times. Do this with an attitude of faith and you will receive sufficient strength and ability to deal with this problem later If you wish we can go into an analysis of your basic problem, but whatever we come up with following that study the formula which I am now going to give you can be a large factor in the eventual cure.”
Following is the affirmation that I gave him – “I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me” (Phillip Plain 4: 13) He is unfamiliar with these words so I wrote them on a card and had him read them over three times aloud.
“ Now Follow the prescription and I think it will come out right” he pulled himself up and stood quietly for a moment then said with considerable feeling “ok doctor. Ok “
I watched him square his shoulder and walk into the night. He seemed a pathetic figure and yet the way he carried himself as he disappeared showed that faith was already at work in his mind.
Subsequently, he reported that this simple formula “ did wonders “ for him and added “It seems incredible that a few words from the bible could do so much for a person. “
Root Cause of Inferiority Complex:
There are various causes of inferiority feelings and not a few from childhood an executive consulted me about a young man whom he wished to advance in his company but he explained he could not be trusted with important secret information and I am sorry for otherwise I would make him my administrative assistant he has all the other necessary qualification but he talks too much, and without meaning to do so divulges matters of a private and important nature.
Upon analysis, I found that he “talked too much “simply because of an inferiority feeling. To compensate for it, he succumbed to the temptation of parading his knowledge. He associated with rather well-to-do men, but this boy was raised in poverty and had not been a college man or fraternity member. Thus, he felt inferior to his associates in education, and to enhance his self-esteem, his subconscious, which always seeks to provide a compensatory mechanism, supplied him with a means for raising his ego.
He was inside the industry and accompanied his superior to conferences where he met outstanding men and listened to important private conversations. He reported just enough of his inside information to cause his associate to regard him with admiration and envy. This served to elevate his self-esteem and satisfy his desire for recognition.
When the employer became aware of the cause of this personality trait of being a kindly and understanding man, he pointed out to the young man the opportunities in business to which his abilities could lead him. He also described how his inferiority feelings caused his unreliability in confidential matters. This self-knowledge, together with a sincere practice of the techniques of faith and prayer, made him a valuable asset to his company. His real powers were released.
Inferiority Complex in Youngsters:
I can perhaps illustrate how many youngsters acquire an inferiority complex through personal reference as a small boy I was painfully thin. I had lots of energy, was on a track team, and was healthy and hard as nails, but then I wanted fat I was called “ Skinning “ but I did not want to be called “ Skinny “I wanted to be called “ fat “ I longed to be longed to be hard-boiled and tough and fat. I have everything to get fat. I drank cod liver oil, consumed a vast number of milkshakes, and ate thousands of chocolate sundaes with whipped cream and nuts cakes and pies, but they did not affect me in the slightest I stayed thin and lay awake nights thinking and agonizing about it.
I kept on trying to get heavy until I was about thirty when all of a sudden did I get heavy? I bulged at the seams then I became self-conscious because I was so fat and finally had to take off forty pounds with equal agony to get myself down to respectable size.
In the second place (to conclude this personal analysis which I give only because it may help others by showing how maladies work) I was a minister’s son and was constantly reminded that fact, everybody else could do everything, but if I did even the slightest little thing – “Ah you are preacher’s son”. So I did not want to preacher’s son, for the preacher’s sons are supposed to be nice I wanted to be known as a hard-boiled fellow perhaps that’s why preacher sons get their reputation for being a little difficult because they rebel against having to carry the banners of the church all the time. I vowed there was one thing I would never do and that was to become a preacher.
I found the solution to this issue in simple faith techniques taught in the Bible. These scientific and sound principles can heal any personality of pain or inferiority feelings. Their use can enable the sufferer to find and release the power that a feeling of adequacy has inhabited.
Such are some of the sources of the inferiority complex that erect power barriers in our personalities. It is some emotional violence done to us in childhood the consequences of certain circumstances or something we did to ourselves. This malady arises out of the misty past in the dim recesses of our personalities.
Conclusion:
The article “Overcome the Inferiority Complex By Believing in Yourself” emphasizes the importance of self-confidence and faith in overcoming feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. It argues that self-belief is a key factor in achieving happiness and success. The article suggests that a lack of confidence often stems from childhood experiences, personal insecurities, and environmental factors. By addressing these underlying causes, employing positive affirmations, and using faith-based techniques, individuals can build their confidence, realize their potential, and improve their lives. The author supports this with real-life examples, highlighting that inner transformation is possible through consistent, faith-driven practices.
Five FAQs:
What is an inferiority complex?
An inferiority complex is a chronic sense of inadequacy or insecurity that can impede one’s ability to grow both personally and professionally. It frequently results in self-doubt and a lack of confidence.
What causes an inferiority complex?
It may result from comparisons with others’ personal insecurities social environments or early experiences and it can cause compensatory behaviors like over-explanation or validation seeking.
How can one overcome an inferiority complex?
Finding the underlying causes of developing self-confidence utilizing positive affirmations and using faith-based techniques to strengthen self-belief are all necessary to overcome it.
Why are positive affirmations important in building confidence?
A person’s confidence is bolstered and feelings of inferiority are gradually diminished by positive affirmations particularly when they are repeated with faith.
Can faith and religious principles help with overcoming an inferiority complex?
Yes, the article makes the case that faith-based methods and practices like using religious quotations to affirm one’s strengths can boost self-esteem and give one emotional fortitude.