Note: This post is written by Kerry Creaswood

Confidence is what separates the good from the bad. However, in life it is easy to lose your confidence in the littlest of ways. Even one bad thing can make you less confident throughout the day.

Fortunately, there are ways you can boost your confidence. Here are six confidence-building tips to make your life better.

1. Harbor a good attitude.

“Smile and you will feel better.” I used to be told that nearly every single day as a teenager and I hated to hear it. Why should I smile? Why should I force myself to look like I was in a good mood when I obviously am not?

Well, as an adult I now make myself smile for at least a few minutes a day, just to help me improve my mood. Yes, smiling, or forcing a smile on your face can help boost a positive attitude for you during the day. By smiling you will become more positive, and confident in your abilities.

2. Kill negative thoughts.

“You can not do that. You are not smart enough to do that. You do not have the skills to do that.” Just reading that made you feel sluggish. You might have even agreed to at least one of those statements. You may have been thinking about writing a book, but as soon as you read “You are not smart enough to do that” you probably shrugged and nodded.

Push all of those thoughts right out of your head! For a confident person, there is no such thing as a negative thought. If they ever have a negative view, their next thought is a way to try and fix that problem. Do you think you are not smart enough? A confident person will study or take a class to help them fix that. Do you not have the supplies or skills to do that? Get the supplies and practice. Don’t let negative thoughts kill your confidence.

3. Stop accepting failure.

Use failure as an opportunity to learn, don’t just look at it and go “Oh well.” Ask yourself these questions: Why did I fail? What did I do wrong? How can I make myself better for next time? Then act on those questions, find the reason for your failure.

For example, you are taking a math test, and you accidentally read all of the division symbols as addition symbols. After you find the reason and realize what you have done wrong, you can make sure that you will do a better job of reading the text correctly for the next time.

4. Volunteer.

Those who volunteer build up their confidence by learning new skills while helping the community. By volunteering, you will grow more confident as you let yourself learn more about the issues your town is going through and how you can help find the solutions.

By doing good for others, you are also giving yourself a sense of pride as well as getting your name out as someone who takes time to help others.

5. Focus on the solution.

Don’t take the time to complain if you are not going to do anything about it. If you spill your milk, you can not just sit there and complain about it while not doing anything. Why? Because during that time the milk sets in, spoils, and begins to smell.

The same thing goes for life. Is your car broken down? Fix it yourself, or call someone who can. Don’t get yourself into more trouble by complaining about your cars condition and not doing anything about it.

Before complaining or giving up, you should always look for one solution. By doing this, you will assure yourself that there is a way to fix everything and boost your confidence.

6. Change your body language.

Your posture reflects the way you feel. Therefore, if you want to feel confident, you should try to make yourself look confident. Stand up straight, clench your hands into fists, and smile. Look as confident as you can, and soon your true feelings will reflect that posture.

Kerry Creaswood – blogger from Savannah, GA, who works at GhostProfessors.com. She is fond of various forms of art and thinks that everything we can imagine is real. To find more about Kerry – check her Twitter.