Dear Friends,

Welcome to ConfidenceCenter.com where we help you build your leadership confidence and improve your leadership skills.

Please read the About Our Company page to learn about how and why I founded ConfidenceCenter.com and what we do.

The article below is my personal confidence story. I hope you enjoy it.

Make every day a great day,

Harriet Meyerson, Founder ConfidenceCenter.com

How Harriet Developed Confidence While Learning to Ski

If you're up at Snowmass, Colorado this season watching the advanced skiers cruising down the slopes, one of them could be Harriet Meyerson, former scaredy-cat. Skiing a snow-covered mountain while hanging onto nothing but a pair of poles was not always her idea of fun.

"Not being the adventurous type I would not have planned our first ski trip," she says, pulling out a ski bunny photo of herself in the early 1980s. "I had a strong dislike of cold weather, heights and any kind of speed. My husband Larry, a doctor, had a medical meeting in Aspen and suggested we should try skiing."

Harriet Conquers the Bunny Hill

The first morning, weak with apprehension, she put on her new ski duds and ventured out for a group ski lesson. "The beginners slope seemed steep to me but I decided I really wanted to ski," she says, "...and something within pushed me to go." Swallowing her fears, she mastered the puma lift (pommel seat for beginners) "snow-plowing" all the way down a modest slope. On the strength of that she amazed herself by signing up for solo lessons.

The upbeat ski instructor kept urging her to enjoy the lovely view. Meyerson drew courage from her, taking "baby steps" a la Bill Murray's character in the movie, What About Bob? Little by little her timidity receded, confidence in her own abilities grew. She found herself on the chair lift - albeit with eyes tightly closed, jabbering "What am I doing here?" Gliding over the treetops, lovely view or not, she was scared stiff. We won't mention the dismount at the top. Suffice to say she found her bearings, admired the view, gritted her teeth and skied off. Cold wind blowing on fevered cheeks, her heart racing - not with fear -- with exhilaration!

The joys of skiing were banishing her paranoia about speed. At the bottom of her first ski run she looked up at the mountain in jubilation saying to herself, "I did it!" It so happened that learning to ski not only cured her fear of heights and speed, it provided a stepping-stone toward becoming her own poster person for success.

Meyerson, a model of poise and self-assurance, was once convinced that everyone else was as confident as she wasn't. Learning to ski was a turning point.

"I know now that if you don't like where you are you can change. Tackling the mountain gave me the idea that if I succeeded at doing something I really wanted to do but that scared me silly, I could teach others to build self-confidence. It's an ongoing thought process."

A Natural Teacher With a Relaxed Style

Meyerson is soft-spoken and a natural teacher. Before entering into personal development and becoming a motivational speaker she was a schoolteacher. Unlike intimidating motivational strategists with aggressive techniques, Meyerson has an easy, relaxed style. She understands how it is to lack confidence in oneself - she's been there. Her workshops are built around modes of action that helped her personally. In 1991 she launched The Confidence Center, which has become a valuable resource for many Dallas companies, associations and schools.

The Creating Confidence Series

Betty Young, former Manager, Training and Career Development, UT Southwestern Medical Center, says that their participants praised Meyerson for her presentation on Relationship Magic; and that they "greatly benefited from the Stress Buster seminar." both part of the Creating Confidence series.

Stress Busters

Demonstrating the way a sponge becomes sodden with water Meyerson shows how easy it is to get weighed down by stress.Maintaining peace of mind is a goal that seems unattainable. Before making a decision she suggests asking yourself:

"Will doing thus-and-so produce more stress? Or will it contribute to Peace of mind?"

Her advice is to evaluate your expectations. We want to be perfect tens -superwomen who can do it all! What's wrong with being an eight? Cut yourselfsome slack -- delegate! We have great expectations of other people, forgetting they have limitations too. People will be who they are. Not who you want them to be. Attitude - you can change your perceptions but not the way others see. Change your thinking. The words we choose affect our minds -- triggering emotions. (The first letter of each key word in the workshop spells out PEACE).

The Secret of Self-Confidence

"The secret of self-confidence is action - taking the first step without confidence in order to create confidence." - Harriet Meyerson.

In creating confidence, Meyerson says, decide on a goal. Act on that goal despite fears of what might happen. When you accomplish your goal the reward is a magic moment when your opinion of yourself changes.

Having the desire to accomplish something that will help you respect yourself and feel confident about your own abilities is one thing.

Taking the plunge and acting on it is the first step toward that goal.

Meyerson pointed out that she had to reach deeply inside herself to find the courage to ski - and it was there. The key is to dredge up courage and push aside negative thoughts. The Secrets of Self-Confidence series stresses action - taking the first step without confidence in order to create confidence.

Through In-House Workshops, Lunch and Learn seminars, Workshops at The Confidence Center, an E-mail Home Study Course and a weekly e-newsletter Meyerson has boosted the employees of many organizations on the road to success.

"Most of us want to stay in our comfort zones where it's safe - but we're not safe from boredom and stagnation, " Meyerson says firmly.

"If you can let go and aim your skis downhill, you'll have the confidence to continue building confidence in other areas of life. And it is a lifelong process."

Learning to ski was the stimulus that opened up a world of new opportunities and possibilities for a shy, sensitive wife, mother and teacher in the prime of life. New confidence inspired her to tread where she had not dared before. She shares her outlook through a free weekly e-mail newsletter full of tips and insights, words, activities and inspirational quotes, saying:"It's my gift to the community." You can subscribe on our home page.

Written by Tamara Brown. Published in Today's Dallas Woman magazine, February 2002

Harriet Meyerson has been a frequent contributor to Today's Dallas Woman. She was also a former feature writer for Vitality Magazine. Harriet is a past member of The National Speakers Association.