Capability Is Confidence

Having done something once, or many times, is enough reason to have faith it can be done again and again.

It bears repeating: having proven ourselves capable we can do this thing, again.

The truth of human experience in many situations, however, is that polarising doubt brings us to our knees in uncharitable fear. Such imaginings get the better of us in every walk of life; the emotive power within is contorted toward paralysis.

These dramatic imaginings, those very ones that occur without thought, dash many of our simplest hopes—even affecting the basic tasks of life: job interviews, operating machines, speaking in public, the ability to travel, to mix in certain social settings etc.

What we are robbed of is the confidence we ought to have in our capability.

Getting Down To Fundamental Mechanics

The science of capability is down to the skill to do a thing a certain way with the reliable portion of consistency—not perfect every time, but generally good enough.

Skill is not a perfect thing. There is margin for error. Forgivable lapses are plentiful in life and no capability is defined by perfection. Yet, we complicate the things we do—those we shrink in doubt for—because our minds have honed in on the sleek shades of darkness within minute parts of these tasks, forgetting most of it is done with ease.

When we have doubts our focus has shifted onto the 1-5% we aren’t sure of.

We too easily forget the fundamental mechanics have already been mastered; it is only the small stuff we sweat over. Yet, logic tells us not to sweat the small stuff; our hearts require further convincing, though. Irrational fear is our evidence.

When we get down to the fundamentals, fixing our minds on the basics, recalling how well we did them, our doubting diminishes.

Resting In Fact

Our capability is our confidence.

Why would we reasonably doubt our ability to do something we have already done? Why would we not now be even more capable, given that we are older, wiser, and more experienced?

Sure, we may lack the practise, but confidence is beyond practise if we can lift ourselves up enough to believe, with positivity, keeping things mechanical, and being mindful as we do it.

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It is reasonable to doubt our abilities, but where we have proven our capability to do something we should not doubt our ability to do it again. Our capability is our confidence.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.