Here you will learn Self Confidence Tip, Develop Self Confidence, Increase Self Confidence
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Chapter VII
PHYSICAL BASIS
It is difficult to imagine a hopeful, self-confident, buoyant man dragging
around a half dead body. The mental and physical natures are so interdependent
that you can not affect one without the other. Hence the ideal has ever been "A
strong mind in a strong body."
What a boon is health to man, yet how easily it is squandered. In many cases a
horse is better groomed and receives better care than his master. "Give me
health, and a day," sings Emerson, "and I will make the pomp of kings
ridiculous." This exuberant health is the very joy of living and the basis of
self-confidence.
First, then, let the student assume the physical attitude of the man he would
be, with erect carriage, chest high and active, the back of the neck pressed
against the collar, and the manner suggesting power in reserve. In a remarkably
short time, by merely "playing the part," he will establish it as a habit, and
the mind itself will assume these self-same qualities. Don't forget the order:
An act, a habit, a character.
A still better way is to hold in the mind a vivid picture of the physical man
you would be. Think of yourself as of manly and dignified bearing, with spine
strong and straight, shoulders thrown back, countenance clear and frank, the
step sure and firm. Think of yourself as positive, deliberate and magnetic.
Endeavor to make this picture a reality by putting all this into practice.
Resolve to make the most of yourself, beginning not tomorrow but to-day--now. At
this moment while you read these words, straighten yourself up, draw in a full
deep breath, and ask whether this simple act does not increase your feeling of
self-reliance. Avoid the "leaning" habit. Many men feel uncomfortable unless
they can rest their chin on the hand, cross their legs, or find constant support
for their back.
The difficult problem of how a busy man may properly exercise is still unsolved.
He has tried the gymnasium, but found no inspiration there. There is no fun in
exercising at a mechanical rowing machine. He has bought a "home exerciser," but
after a few mornings both his enthusiasm and the exerciser disappear. He has
bought a library of books on physical culture, but some of their pages are still
uncut. What is he to do? Listen:
Two minutes devoted regularly each morning upon rising, to half-a-dozen bending,
twisting, and stooping movements of the arms, waist and legs, coupled with
right habits during the day, will give an average man all the physical exercise
he requires.
The importance of the daily bath should no longer need to be emphasized. The
particular form--whether it be hot or cold, sponge or tub, at night or in the
morning--may be adapted to one's particular case, but the entire surface of the
body should be washed at least once a day. The reason is not so physiological as
it is psychological. A clean body has a most direct and immediate effect upon
one's thoughts. The mind telegraphs its message by delicate and mysterious means
to all parts of the body. A bath has an intimate relation to a man's soul.
Physical up building should be part of a man's every-day life. On his way to the
office he can get off the street-car ten blocks away and feel the invigorating
effect of walking for the rest of the way. During the day he can rise from his
desk, inhale a deep breath six times or more, accompanied by a movement of the
arms, and return to his duties refreshed and exhilarated. Especially can he be
careful to sit up straight, to breathe deeply, and do his daily work without
strain. It is a nervous age, when men do everything under pressure and tension.
If such a man would begin his day an hour earlier, he could conduct all his
affairs deliberately and even leisurely, and feel that he was always an hour
ahead. To start in good time will often obviate the wear and tear of the average
business life.
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