I’d like to tell you about a man for whom I have great admiration. The eldest of three children, he was born on September 9, 1890, on a farm in the state of Indiana. Coming from a relatively modest background, he lost his father at the tender age of five. His mother, who worked as a housemaid, had to take on night shifts at a tomato cannery to provide for her family. He himself was forced to start working at just ten years old.

A few years later, he created his very first business, selling carbide lamps. Unfortunately, a major electrification campaign was launched across the country at that time, rendering his business obsolete and leading to its bankruptcy shortly after its inception.

He then shifted gears and pursued a career as a lawyer. However, this too ended in failure. He was disbarred after a courtroom brawl that he initiated. Even though he was eventually cleared of blame, his reputation in a profession that demands impeccable trustworthiness was irreparably damaged, making it impossible for him to continue his legal career.

After this setback, he decided to open a restaurant, hoping his culinary skills could help him succeed in a completely different field. The menu featured Southern U.S. specialties that he mastered, such as fried chicken and mashed potatoes seasoned with herbs and spices. His recipes even earned him awards.

Just when it seemed that fortune was finally smiling upon him, the construction of a highway diverted a significant portion of his customers away from his restaurant. On the brink of bankruptcy, he was forced to sell his establishment at a loss and barely managed to repay his debts. However, he decided to franchise his restaurant concept. Thanks to his closely guarded secret recipe, he didn’t take long to become a multimillionaire septuagenarian.

If you’ve followed me so far, your sharp and insightful mind has surely figured out that I’m talking about Colonel Sanders, whose chicken recipe was the foundation of KFC. Colonel Sanders’ story shows us that achieving our goals isn’t always smooth sailing. It often requires a good dose of perseverance combined with unwavering motivation, even in the face of setbacks and challenges.

However, it is nearly impossible to display the level of perseverance that Colonel Sanders had without a sufficiently high level of self-confidence. When someone lacks self-confidence and faces numerous obstacles, rejections, or refusals in the pursuit of a project, they may begin to feel defeated and think that no one wants to help them. Thus, self-confidence becomes an essential ingredient in the process of achieving your goals and realizing your projects.

In this second part, we will therefore focus on self-confidence. First, we will discuss the importance of thoughts. Then, we’ll explore how to handle past failures, and we’ll conclude with concrete and practical keys to becoming a confident person in everyday life.

This text is an excerpt from the book “THIS YEAR I ACHIEVE MY GOALS!” written by Henri M. Missola.

We invite you to read the following article: “3 TYPES OF LIMITING BELIEFS.”

LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE. LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE.