Being loud makes you confident?

When majority of the people hear the word “confident” they think it’s all about being loud and bold about everything you want to speak about. We imagine someone being vocal and commanding the room with the authority with a booming voice. But over the years, working as a public speaking coach and communication trainer I have realised that confidence has many shades.

I remember a young student around 11 years old who I trained recently. He would stay silent in the whole class, never even spoke unless asked but when it came to presenting his thoughts or tasks, he would speak with such clarity and depth that it caught everyone’s attention.

That’s when it hit me: confidence is not about the volume of your voice, it’s about the clarity of your presence.

Confidence can be quiet and steady. It can live in the way you carry yourself, or even the way you hold eye contact, also how you pause instead of rushing through the words.

Here are three truths that I have learned about real confidence:

1. It’s not performance, it’s the authenticity. You don’t need to pretend ; you just need to show up as your true self.

2. It’s not noise, it’s the impact. People will always remember how you made them feel, not how loud you spoke.

3. It’s not instant, it’s practice. Building confidence is like training your brain’s muscle, it will take time but once it comes, never leaves.

4. 
   

Confidence is not about being loud, it’s about being heard.