Once upon a time in a small village, nestled in the West Riding, there lived a malignant witch. She was feared by all due to her dark powers and mischievous ways. But what set her apart from the other witches was her mode of transportation – a bike. Yes, this witch, with her flowing black robe and pointy hat, would ride through the village on her cackling bike, spreading terror wherever she went. The residents of the village would lock their doors and cower in fear as the witch cycled past their homes. The sound of her bike's rusty chain echoed through the quiet streets, sending shivers down their spines.
Confidence doesn’t mean you won’t fail. It doesn’t mean you’re always smiling or that you never experience anxiety or self-doubt (see #2). Instead, it means you know you can handle those feelings and push through them to conquer the next challenge.
And because it s a bit of a taboo subject people don t really understand confidence, how to make sure it s there when they need it and what to do to build it. Chasing likes and followers It s easy to get caught up in the numbers game on social media, but chasing likes and followers is a toxic habit that leads to disappointment.
The sound of her bike's rusty chain echoed through the quiet streets, sending shivers down their spines. Children would hide behind their parents, and even the bravest of souls would tremble at the sight of this wicked witch from the west. One fateful day, the witch devised a wicked plan to cast a spell on the entire village.
The curse of low self-confidence and What to do about it
Self-confidence is a strange thing. I should clarify: low self-confidence is a strange animal. I've seen it show up in the most confident and accomplished leaders:
- "I feel so stupid"
- "I don't think I can do this"
- "I'm just an idiot"
These words are coming from wonderfully capable, intelligent, driven women who have built accomplished careers and are continuing to make great impacts in their work, families, and communities.
So what gives? Why does this happen? And more importantly, how do we counter it? How do we get over it, step on it, jump over it, and kick it to the curb once and for all?
Interestingly, I found that self-confidence is neither an all-or-nothing entity (have it or don't have it), nor is it permanent situation (forever or never).
Rather, it comes and goes at different times of our lives and careers, in different situations, with different people.
You may have self-confidence over 95% of your work or life, and somehow there's this nagging 5% of your work or life that you're just not quite sure on. Perhaps you're learning a new skill, and struggling with it is making you question your other abilities. Perhaps you're going through a major life change, and it's giving you reason to doubt your judgement.
Often, if not managed well, that tiny 5% would take hold, slowly eating at us until it spreads and take over the 95% as well.
So what could you do?
1. Identify triggers: BE AWARE
What is causing your low self-confidence? Be very specific. And be honest with yourself. Is it a particular situation? What usually is happening? Who is involved? What did they say or do? What did you say or do? What were you feeling at that time? What made you do what you'd normally do?
Write these down, or talk with a trusted friend or coach.
Reality check: Are you describing these in broad strokes ("I feel so timid when I can't speak up")? If so, keep asking who, what, when, where (e.g. "When we are gathered in a meeting with all the senior leadership, and there is a topic that I'm passionate about, but I'm afraid to appear a fool because everyone else is an expert, I tend to sit in the back of the room, and not say anything."). Be as specific as possible to get down to what actually is causing you to lose your confidence.
2. Challenge: REFRAME YOUR THOUGHTS
Now, reflect on what you just said. Which parts are facts? What assumptions did you make? About yourself, about others? What are you fearing in this situation? What are your doubts in this situation? What are other possible perspectives? What other outcomes could happen? What alternate approaches could be used here?
Reality check: If this happened to your favorite person, what would you say about the situation?
I love this reality check because we often choose to say such cruel, mean, and untrue things to ourselves over and over again - something that we would never say to a respected friend or colleague. So why would we do that to ourselves?
Instead of being our worst critic, choose to be our own best supporter instead.
3. Integrate and Apply: CHANGE YOUR DIALOGUE
Here's the thing, nothing will change if you keep mulling on it and just thinking about it. So let's take what you've done and put it in action:
- With the triggers that you identify (situation, people, words, actions) - how would you best recognize when you're in this situation? Note this down so that you can notice when a trigger happens.
- Acknowledge what you would normally do. For example, if going into a meeting room for a board meeting is intimidating for you, you acknowledge that your usual action is to sit silently at the back of the room.
- Prepare an alternate action that you would make. What could you do differently in order to bring your best self and add value to the situation? For example, instead of sitting silently at the back of the boardroom, you would choose a seat at the table. Perhaps the next time, you would speak up and provide your perspective.
I'll be honest here. This is difficult. In fact, a KPMG leadership study shows 67% of women said they need more support building confidence to feel like they can be leaders.
So, be kind to yourself. Find the right support in your colleagues, family, coach, and friends. Rely on and leverage that 95% of your confident self, and manage the 5% so it won't take over.
Things take time, and low self-confidence is not something easily conquered. And it'll likely pop up when you least expected it. So the best way is to equip yourself to deal with it in a way that keeps moving you forward. Seek out small wins - something that is safe for you, and continues positive progress - in order to keep building momentum.
And I'll leave you with something that was casually said but have stuck with me throughout the years. It was still early on in my career, and I was on the phone with a more senior colleague, both working on figuring out something that wasn't going right in a project. At a certain point of confusion and complexity, we both took a break, and she just said:
"We're a couple of intelligent women, we'll figure it out."
Best of luck to you all, and go forth and figure it out.
Do you have your bouts of low self-confidence? What do you do to deal with it? How do you get back on track and keep figuring it out? Share your thoughts in a comment.
Things take time, and low self-confidence is not something easily conquered. And it'll likely pop up when you least expected it. So the best way is to equip yourself to deal with it in a way that keeps moving you forward. Seek out small wins - something that is safe for you, and continues positive progress - in order to keep building momentum.
She believed that by stealing all the laughter from the villagers, she could gain ultimate power over them. So, she rode her bike through the village, cackling and chanting incantations. As she passed by, the once joyous giggles turned into mournful cries, and the light in people's eyes dimmed. It seemed as though the witch's plan was working, and the village was falling into despair. But little did the witch know, the village had a secret weapon – the power of unity. The villagers, realizing the dire situation, joined hands and devised a plan of their own. They decided that laughter was their strongest defense against the witch's dark magic. They organized a festival, filled with music, games, and laughter. Every corner of the village was adorned with colorful decorations, and the sound of laughter filled the air. On the day of the festival, the witch rode her bike through the village, hoping to drain the remaining joy from its inhabitants. To her surprise, instead of fearful faces, she was met with smiles and laughter. The villagers had banished the darkness by embracing the power of joy. Enraged by their resistance, the witch furiously pedaled her bike, trying to extinguish the laughter that filled the air. But with each cackle she made, the villagers laughed harder, foiling her every attempt. In the end, the witch's power began to dwindle, and she was left defeated. From that day on, the malignant witch from the west riding her bike was nothing more than a distant memory. The village thrived with laughter and joy, always remembering the power of unity and the importance of laughter in conquering darkness..
Reviews for "Riding with the Devil: The Malignant Witch's Bike Adventure"
1. Linda - 1 star
I really did not enjoy watching "Malignant witch from the west riding a bike". The concept of a witch riding a bike seemed interesting, but the execution was poor. The plot was incredibly confusing and difficult to follow, with random scenes that did not make sense and added nothing to the story. The characters were poorly developed, and I found it hard to care about any of them. Overall, I would not recommend this movie to anyone.
2. Mark - 2 stars
"Malignant witch from the west riding a bike" was a disappointment for me. The film had a promising premise, but it failed to deliver. The pacing was incredibly slow, and I found myself getting bored after the first 20 minutes. The dialogue was also weak and lacked depth, making it hard to be fully engaged with the story. Furthermore, the special effects were unimpressive and made the witch's bike riding scenes look cheesy rather than scary. I was left feeling underwhelmed and would not watch this movie again.
3. Sarah - 2 stars
I had high hopes for "Malignant witch from the west riding a bike", but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The plot seemed intriguing, but it quickly became convoluted and confusing. The film tried to be scary, but it was more comical than anything else. The acting was subpar, and the characters were difficult to relate to or empathize with. Overall, I found this movie to be a letdown and would not recommend it to others.
4. John - 1 star
"Malignant witch from the west riding a bike" was a complete waste of my time. The storyline was uninteresting and lacked originality. The acting was amateurish, and the characters were one-dimensional, making it hard to invest in their fates. The film also had a low-budget feel, with poor special effects that took away from the already weak storyline. Overall, I regret watching this movie and would not recommend it to anyone looking for a quality horror film.
5. Emily - 2 stars
I was disappointed by "Malignant witch from the west riding a bike". The concept had potential, but the execution was lacking. The pacing was slow, and the plot was all over the place. It felt like the movie couldn't decide whether it wanted to be a horror film or a comedy. The scares were predictable, and the performances were forgettable. Overall, this movie failed to leave a lasting impact, and I would not recommend it to others.