BLOG 312–Find Your Confidence!

“KITTING AROUND”
BLOG 312–Find Your Confidence!
Don’t sleepwalk through life.
I aim to Illuminate Your Life with my Words.
Do You Wander Aimlessly or Wonder About the Possibilities?
Embark on Your Journey of Self-Discovery and Personal Growth.
Let’s Ignite Moments of Self-reflection and Deep Contemplation Together.
I WANT TO INSPIRE YOU TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY AND BETTER!

*** A world-class juggler/performer.
*** The value that every moment has.
*** Only YOU know what is best for you.
*** Going through a 37-day coma — Yikes!
*** The joy I experience in life is a wondrous thing!
*** It was a life-altering experience that gave me joy.
*** More than just you, I hope I help many others through you.
*** This blog looks best when viewed on a laptop.
*** If you read through Facebook, see >> kitsummers.com
*** Despite being hit by two trucks, I remain happy.
*** What do you want to accomplish before you die? 
*** I lived in my van for six years, which was very nice.
*** I visited all US national parks and met Beth.
*** Beth and I married on 2/22/22 at 2:22.
*** But sadly, our divorce is imminent.
*** What are you genuinely passionate about?
*** What do you want to accomplish?
*** You cannot change the past.
*** Remember, the future will come.
*** All you have is now—ALWAYS!
*** Have you seen >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFC5vLPDWRo 

BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!

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WHY I WRITE THIS BLOG
You will have many in your life who assist and teach; I hope I help guide you. I want to lighten your path toward excellence. I am not trying to show you “the way”; I am trying to help you find “your way.” Writing this blog each week is new and different for me each time—I love it! In other words, I hope to continually add to your life and bring you to a higher level. Your life should always be starting again–a better life each time!
     
I WANT TO INSPIRE YOU WITH MY WORDS –WORDS HAVE POWER!
They can fill you with optimism and empower you to think positively.
Are you accomplishing what you want before your eventual demise?
You can (and should) make changes to improve your life — at every age. Let this thought motivate and drive you towards self-improvement.
Of course, that leads to helping others have a better life.
We all need to help each other reach a higher level.
         
MY EXPERIENCES
You already know much about what I write, and I want to remind you of these ideas and show that my views can provide you with additional thoughts, along with yours, to help you.
I hope to spread ideas from my life so you can live better.
Remember, only you know what is best for you.
And — you are only as young as the last time you changed your mind!
     
Learn a New Word Every Day!
Sign up at >> https://www.wordgenius.com/ 

YES, YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO FIND YOUR SUCCESS!
THINK  —  AND THEN THINK AGAIN.
WHAT NEW STORIES ARE YOU READY TO WRITE? 

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OPENING WORDS
     
A fundraiser had been set up for me. Thanks for your help, Dave Finnigan. However, some scammers in Ghana tried to steal money. My daughter, April, will help make this fundraiser work. Any help you can provide will be much appreciated.  Please don’t write to any email addresses besides kitsummers.com.
     
A problematic week spending time alone at the hotel. There is not anywhere to go around here. I have spent time on this computer putting down words for your eyes.
     
Do you make time for exercise? I need to.
I walked today, although my foot and ankle hurt a lot.
However, my leg gets better each day I work out.
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BLOG 311–The Confidence You Need!
     
CONFIDENCE?
Are you confident in your life and what you do? If so, you will go much further in life and achieve amazing things.
   
WHAT IS?
Confidence is a wonderful thing. It will allow you to move through your life with poise and self-assurance and take on challenges that might otherwise seem too much. But confidence is also an inconstant thing. Confidence can be the best mental state for those who yearn to stroll smiling into a party, confident that they’ll make a good impression, or confidently share their ideas in an important meeting.
 
FAKE IT!
I’ve found that when you need confidence but are unsure, fake it.
You will gain confidence and move forward; others will believe in you.
Try it; you will be surprised at the outcome.
You want to be in a positive light but not be pushy.
     
OVERESTIMATE
But it’s also a tricky subject to understand. On the one hand, confidence has been associated with increased happiness, health, and job satisfaction; conversely, it is a cognitive bias in which the least-skilled people overestimate their capabilities.
     
USE YOUR MIND
Suggestions for cultivating more confidence can also come with warnings. Power posing is based on the idea that the brain takes a cue from the body when we assume certain “commanding” stances. It is like the physical incarnation of the “fake it until you make it” mentality.
   
EXPERIENCE
So where does your self-confidence — or the trust in one’s abilities, capacities, and judgment — come from? Brought on with past experience? Increased through intentional practice? The answer is a bit of everything.
   
FROM YOUTH
Beginning in our youth, everything we experience — from traumatic events to gender-based societal conditioning — can impact the people we become. Confidence is being open to think differently and how to change.
   
POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS
Life experience includes the positive relationships we’ve built with family and friends, whether with parents who encourage us and create safe spaces for us to try new things or with friends who cheer us on.
   
YOUR PAST
Confidence is also born from past successes, mainly when we set out to do something and succeed, especially when overcoming obstacles. Though the idea of power posing as an elixir for self-assurance may have conflicting data behind it, there are some more general ways to help cultivate confidence, even if you feel like neither nature nor nurture is on your side.
     
POWER POSING
This is your stance and the strength you show. Your body and face show confidence. For example, you might stand with legs wide apart, hands on hips, and a lifted chin, essentially “faking it till you make it” with your body language.
     
SURE OF YOURSELF
Self-effectiveness is closely related to confidence. It reflects confidence in one’s ability to control one’s motivation, behavior, and social environment. As one’s self-image improves, confidence will skyrocket, and one will feel great about oneself.
   
THE DAILY ROUTINE
We feel good about ourselves when we’re doing things that show our skills and/or talents, things that we already possess some degree of self-assurance. So, if you’re stuck in a daily routine that doesn’t involve many of your strengths, it stands to reason that an overall sense of self-confidence may evade you.
   
CHOOSE THINGS YOU ARE GOOD AT
Make sure you’re partaking in the activities in which you shine, be that playing trivia at a pub or baking treats for your friends and coworkers. On a larger scale, taking stock of whether or not you’re in a job that utilizes your gifts to the highest degree may be helpful.
   
DO FOR OTHERS
Additionally, doing good for others can boost self-esteem, which is another closely related concept to self-confidence. It could also help you discover new talents or build new skills. You could also volunteer to find opportunities.
     
THE CURE-ALL?
It sometimes seems like mindfulness is being offered as a cure-all for everything these days, but it may be helpful in this area. Not being mindful could impede the self-confidence you’re trying to build. When you focus on the present moment, you don’t engage in negative self-talk.
     
MINDFULNESS
Practice can help you disengage from your thinking by acknowledging that those thoughts are simply thoughts that do not dictate or define who you are. Learn about improving your self-esteem through mindfulness.
       
LIFE EXPERIENCE
As we discussed previously, relationships contribute to our life experiences, which contribute to our self-confidence. Ask yourself if the people you surround yourself with boost your feelings of joy and sense of self-worth or do the opposite. Find the right crowd to be with.
   
WHO DO YOU SPEND TIME WITH?
The people you spend time with can influence your thoughts and attitudes about yourself, perhaps much more than you realize. Pay attention to how others make you feel. It may be time to say goodbye if you feel bad about yourself after hanging out with someone.
   
WAYS TO SPEND TIME
Finding new friends with whom to connect can become more challenging as we age. If you’re looking for more positive vibes, consider joining a running group, book club, or juggling club, participating in a volunteer opportunity, or getting involved in your religious community.
   
DON’T FORGET
Remember: Although it can be uncomfortable to try something new and expand our circles of connection, it’s in these moments that we grow confidence and prove to ourselves just how capable we are of accomplishing hard things.

EMBRACE THE PRESENT MOMENT — EVERY SINGLE INSTANT! 

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WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU!
Inspirational quotes and sayings have a unique ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thoughts. They are attractive, challenging, and essential on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves and others.
     
READ
Reading through the quotes below about life can do the trick if you’re looking for a pick-me-up or a healthy dose of motivation. Whether centered around positive affirmations, self-care, or success, life quotes can be powerful inspirational tools.
     
THE BURST!
Inspirational quotes and ideas give us a quick and timely burst of wisdom to regain our focus, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion. I hope the words below bring a smile to your face and drive you to make this day and every day a fantastic event.
 
BE POSITIVE!
Just as positive words can make someone smile, and a well-timed amusing quote can make someone laugh, your thoughts react to the world in real time. Have this control! You have complete control over only one thing in the universe—YOUR THINKING!—and that’s where motivational quotes come in!
     
“YOU”
Your quality of thinking and how you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible, determine everything in your life. Use quotes to move ahead in your life.
   
SELF-TALK IS SO ESSENTIAL—THINK RIGHT!
To stay motivated, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve and get closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it! Motivational words, yes, are just words. But they are positive words; they will keep you on track.
   
QUOTES
Motivational quotes affect our brains, behaviors, and lives because they make us feel like we are in control of our success and have self-efficacy. Quotes make us believe that we have the confidence to complete a task successfully, which is different from having the motivation to succeed.  
   
QUOTES WILL BENEFIT YOU!
Positive and inspiring quotes can be like sunshine on a cloudy day. They inject optimism into our thoughts, brighten our mood, and help us focus on the good in life. They remind us that even in the face of adversity, we can see the silver lining and embrace a positive attitude.
 
PEARLS OF WISDOM
In a world filled with challenges and indecisiveness, the power of inspirational quotes cannot be exaggerated. These pearls of wisdom uniquely uplift our spirits, can spark positive change, and fuel our motivation when we need it most.
     
WORDS WILL CHANGE YOU!
The correct motivational quote can change you and things—helping you ditch the excuses, escape your comfort zone, and take action. Read these words with an open mind and learn to improve your life.
     
THESE QUOTES
When you read these quotes, you’ll also realize that many other people worldwide are experiencing these feelings. These feelings make you think you’re the only person who could feel this bad. But you’re not. Lots and lots of other people feel bad, too. This is the irony of it. You don’t want other people to feel crappy, but it does make you feel better or at least comforted to know that other people feel just as bad as you.
     
READ CAREFULLY
These quotes can be used when you wake up or prepare for work.
You can write your favorite quotes somewhere where you can see them first thing in the morning.
These quotes are motivating, inspiring, and encouraging.
They will help you see your potential, stay motivated, and see the beauty in every morning.
Use them to your advantage! 

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I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS
INSPIRE YOU AND ADD TO YOUR LIFE >>
   
1. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
   
2. “I can be changed by what happens to me.
But I refuse to be reduced by it.” ­­-­ Maya Angelou
   
3. “No one should deter you from being you. You have to be you. And you can never be afraid to be you.” -Ta-Nehisi Coates
   
4. “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” -Louisa May Alcott
   
5. “You are worthy. You are deserving. You are wonderful just as you are.” – Vanessa Van Edwards.
   
6. “Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn’t need others’ approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” – Laozi
   
7. “With realization of one’s potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.” – The Dalai Lama
   
8. “If you have no self-confidence, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.” – Cicero
   
9. “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden
   
10. “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” – Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
     
11. “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face … we must do that which we think we cannot.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
   
12. “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted with something and that this must be attained.” ­- Marie Curie
   
13. “You’re never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you’re never as bad as they say when you lose.” – Lou Holtz
   
14. “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less-than-perfect conditions. So what? Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more self-confident, and more successful.” ­- Mark Victor Hansen
     
15. “Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.” ­- George Washington
     
16. “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh
   
17. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain
   
18. “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ­­- Bernard Baruch
     
19. “It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it.” ­­-Lillian Hellman
     
20. “Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.” ­- Paul Tournier
   
21. “Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.” -Paulo Coelho
   
22. “Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, I may become incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” – Mahatama Gandhi
     
23. “Trust yourself–you know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock
   
24. “Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
     
25. “Accept who you are, and revel in it.” – Mitch Albom

YOU MUST IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR THINKING,
YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE’S DIFFERENTIA—SOMETIMES INSTANTLY!
COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!
YOU CAN TURN THINGS AROUND FAST AND ACHIEVE YOUR
WILDEST DREAMS, NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE!

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MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
Each week goes by so quickly, don’t you think?
It seems like time is going by faster and faster.
You must live joyfully, daily, for each day!
   
Do you know what you did last Monday?
Do you remember what you ate for dinner last Thursday?
Keep track of your doings for a few weeks; you will see your time differently.
Remember, the quality of your life depends on what you do each day–each moment!     
     
2/21–My daughter, April, and her husband, Jake, took me out for dinner at Applebees tonight–a great meal. I only ate half, so the rest was breakfast for tomorrow.
     
Also, they took me to get my stitches removed; it was time. While I was there, I had them look at my right knee since the accident. Something extraordinary: the primary pain was no longer in my knee area; the pain had moved down to my ankle and foot. They put some wraps on the foot, then turned me loose.
     
2/22–The pain in my foot is still there. I removed the wraps that she had put on. My foot is swollen and looks like a different foot, which scares me. The pain has grown all day. I will go for a walk now, and I will let you know.
     
Breakfast was superb, with leftovers from Applebees. Thanks, April and Jake.
   
Today is the anniversary of Beth and my marriage, which took place on 2/22/22. I am sad that she kicked me out last month and has prevented me from even contacting her in any way. She made things difficult, but I will always love this person.
     
2/23–Staying at this hotel with no vehicle is, like I wrote before, like being in jail. My daughter Jasmine suggested I walk this Sunday, so I did. I walked to see where the post office was, which was about a one-mile round trip. My right leg functions alright but is still hurting.
   
I heard from my high school friend, Missy Frank. She offered to let me move into her house in Galion, Ohio. I will have to get back to her later. Thanks, Missy. That sounds superb to me.
     
2/24–I walked this morning, and my knee and ankle feel better. I even ran a bit. I was going to see a doctor about this leg, but I can build it back up myself. I hate wasting time at a doctor’s office.
   
2/25–Right now, it is the next day, the 26th. I completely forget what I did yesterday. It must not have been much; no memories. How about you? What did you do yesterday?
   
Sadness has overtaken my mind. My friend, Dan Berg, just told me that my email account has been taken over. Jasmine and April will come over later tomorrow to help me change all my passwords.
         
2/26–Someone staying here has a van that is just like the van I had. It hurts a lot when I see it. I lived in my van and drove mainly to national parks across the US. I have posted many words about the van, with photos, in the past. It was such a significant loss.
     
Went for a long walk today, and I feel much more substantial. I must develop other exercises that will help. How about you, are you keeping your body in shape?”
   
2/27–Jasmine and April changed all my passwords because someone found a way to get into my accounts. What a terrible thing someone would do; they are just despicable.
   
Having a lot of trouble with Social Security and getting things going for me.
   
Losing my van in that accident is almost worse than my going through a 37-day coma and having to relearn everything. That van was my whole life, now, no more,  I have nothing.
   
2/28–HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
Yes, today is the day I turn 66; that seems so old.
   
I awoke at 12:15 a.m. I tried for a few minutes to get back to sleep, but I knew I would not. So, I watched a few episodes of Cheers to entertain myself. It is 5:07 a.m., and I feel tired from not sleeping. I’ll let you know as the day goes on.
    
My daughter, Jasmine, took me out for a birthday breakfast. What phenomenal daughters I have; they make me so happy. April said she already had something planned with her husband, Jake. We will celebrate my birthday sometime next week.

Both of my sisters called.
Great to converse with you, Sandy.
Wonderful to talk with you, Willow.
Heard nothing from Beth; a sad thing.

THEN KEEP DOING NEW FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

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THE GARDEN THIS WEEK

I keep this section about gardening in.
I do like the skill and hope you do, too.

Winter is here now, but there are still things you can grow.
And remember about indoor gardening.
     
A self-supporting life can be a better life.
A garden would be a part of that life.    —
     
You must look into it.
   
Because I am back on the road, there will be no more words about the garden.
I do hope Beth keeps it up.
We did a lot of work establishing our vegetable garden.
   
When I drove the van seven years ago,
I grew stuff under the sunroof windows on the top.
I may start that up in my van garden again.
You will find out, of course.

START YOUR GARDEN TODAY!
IT MAY BE NECESSARY FOR YOUR LIFE!

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ALL OUR LIVES, WE MUST CHALLENGE OURSELVES!
YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>
This week, show your confidence and see how it does for you. If necessary, fake it; that will help you become strong.
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NEXT BLOG >>
PLAYTIME!
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AND WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING FOR YOUR UPCOMING WEEK?