Importance of Confidence, Willpower, and Morale

Confidence and willpower are essential for all humans. Without the confidence in our own abilities, we tend to give up easily. It is this confidence that drives us to achieve our goals in life. They shape the way that we live. All successful people in life tend to have a high level of confidence in themselves.

As humans, we all need a source of inspiration. Without any inspiration, we merely exist in this world as an inanimate object. The source of our inspiration might be a role model whom we look up to or even a goal which we are trying to achieve. It is through this that we draw strength.

Many people aspire to become someone who is great and successful in life. We try to follow in the footsteps of their favorite movie stars or any other person who excels in their field of expertise. We hope that through hard work and perseverance we will someday become like them. This thought of wanting to be like successful people gives us the inspiration to work hard in our life.

We may also have certain goals or ambitions in life. We tend to have ambitions right from our childhood days. As kids, we would have wanted to become an astronaut, a pilot, a doctor or even an actor. These ambitions may change as we grow and mature but they provide the much-needed push we need to go out and strive hard for our goals.

Inspiration can be explained perfectly using this short story. There were two patients who shared a room in a hospital. Both were very sick and struggling to fight an illness. One patient had his bed next to a window and the other patient was in a bed further away. Since he was bed-ridden the second person could not look outside.

This patient wanted the place next to the window but could not get it. So he heard the stories that the patient next to the window would tell him about the outside world. He explained about the beautiful sunrise and the blooming flowers in the fields outside. These words were the source of inspiration for him to keep going and recover soon.

He wanted to survive so that he could see these wondrous sights for himself. As time passed by he finally recovered his health but the person who was next to the window had succumbed. He then realized that his former friend was actually blind and the window next to him had no view but a blank wall. He had described the scenery from his own imagination to encourage him to press forward. All it takes is this inspiration for us to get past any ordeal.

Once we find some kind of inspiration, it becomes easy for us to put our best effort. However, there are times in which we feel down. When we face failures or setbacks in our life we tend to lose our confidence. We are left with no purpose or ambition to pursue. This affects our everyday life in a number of ways.

Without any confidence, we become afraid to try new things. We are too scared to even try and we end up losing a lot. We give up on our ambitions as we feel that they are too difficult to achieve. Our life becomes cold and empty without any purpose. Confidence in our own abilities is very important to survive in this harsh world.

With self-confidence, we are capable of achieving anything. Nothing is impossible for an optimistic person. We need to be always opportunistic and back ourselves in everything we do. We will lose every time if we do not even try. We need to stay positive through all our struggles and hope for the best.

Even in an army, the soldiers need the confidence to fight. The morale of an army is directly proportional to their fighting capability. You may put hundreds of trained soldiers together and equip them with the latest weapons but if you do not motivate them properly then they will not perform well in the field of battle.

I have come across a number of medieval battles where a numerically superior force falters when facing a smaller but well-motivated army. For example, Alexander conquered half the world with a relatively small army. His major opponent was the Persian empire which had vast resources and manpower at its disposal.

Darius III of Persia was facing a well-trained army led by one of the best military generals in history. Darius was not defenseless though. Persia was then the largest empire that stretched a wide area containing various cultures. He could summon warriors from the far corners of his empire. Every time he fought Alexander, the Persian army outnumbered Alexander. Yet Alexander always came out victorious time and again.

It's true that Alexander's army was comprised of elite well-trained soldiers and led by a military genius. But Darius commanded an army which also was adequately trained and equipped. They comprised of mercenary soldiers trained to kill and he did not forge such a large empire without any military experience.

One of the reasons why Darius lost was because of the difference in the morale of the opposing armies. Darius's army comprised of mercenaries and soldiers from conquered empires. They hardly had any interest in defending the empire of the king who enslaved them. There were many people who were even ready to defect to the enemy. With so many defeats the army was very low on morale and did not have the confidence that they could win.

The outcome of a battle is not decided by the last person standing alive. The army that stands its ground and fights wins whereas the first one to falter their lines and retreat loses. Once the morale of an army is broken what follows is the massacre of a disordered mob trying to run for their life. Alexander's men fought for glory by the side of their proud king. Multiple victories had given them the morale needed to fight any battle and win against any odds.

Willpower is the ability to control your own thoughts and emotions. It defines how much determination you have to complete a task. A person who has willpower will be able to accomplish any task. On the other hand, those who do not have the willpower will give up easily.

This quote perfectly sums up how our attitude can change our lives. If we put our mind to it and have the willpower, we can accomplish any task. If we have doubts in our mind about our capability we will certainly fail. Willpower is similar to giving your mind a placebo. We may not be in control of our life but if we back ourselves and our capability then we will have the courage to face any ordeal.

Having a positive attitude is the most important aspect of life. We must be optimistic about any situation and have self-confidence. You are what you think. It is up to you to decide what your limit is. Your happiness and success are in your hands. So let us rid our mind of any negative thoughts and face life in a positive manner. The cup is half full or half empty based on how we see it.