How to Believe in Yourself and Build Self-Confidence When it comes to success, nothing is more important and influential than self-confidence and belief in oneself. In fact, if we want to be successful, self-belief is more important than intelligence, talent, background, or just about anything else. In addition to this, people who have self-confidence and believe in themselves are healthier, happier, have better relationships, and are more motivated and resilient. There are many factors that affect our self-confidence, including our parents, our upbringing, our environment, our beliefs, past failures and successes, society, how other people treat us, the media, and our experiences at large. Research suggests that the beliefs individuals hold about their abilities powerfully influence the ways in which they behave and achieve (see Bandura, 1977, Parajes, 1996, p. 543). Interestingly enough, a lack of self-confidence is not directly related to a lack of talent, skill or ability. It i...