Seven Steps to Being Your Best Self

*Know your purpose

Are you drifting through life with little direction - hoping that you will discover contentment, health and wealth? Determine your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own distinctive compass that will guide you to your truth north all the time.

* Know your values

What do you value most? Make a list of your top three values. Check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top three values get rid of it.

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* Know your needs

Unmet needs will stop you from living authentically. Take care of yourself. List your top five needs and get them met before it's too late!

* Know your passions

You know who you are and what you truthfully like in life. Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.

* Live from the inside out

Blend with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. Learn to listen to what your heart is saying.

*Honor your strengths

What are your positive traits? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you willingly share what you know with others.

* Serve others

When you live authentically, you will find out that you develop an interconnected sense of being. When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you are indeed pleasing, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them.

Speak With Confidence

Most people know the fear that comes from speaking in public.  There are several things you can do to help you gain confidence in this area.  Confidence comes through when you speak.  The more you have, or can convince your audience you have, the more confidence they will have in you.

1. Talk about something you know. We all have our limitations, but that doesn't mean we can't learn to keep up and share what we know.

2. Listening is just as imperative as asking questions. Sometimes listening to the sound of our own voice can teach us to be more confident with ourselves and to say the things we believe in with confidence.

3. Be willing to make mistakes. Don't be scared to ask if you're saying the word correctly and if they're unsure about it then make a joke out of it.

4. Make eye contact. It's essential that you keep your focus when talking to a big group in a meeting or a gathering.

5. Have a sense of humor. A little bit of humor can do wonders to relieve the strain, or worse monotony when making your speech?

6. Socialize. Interaction is all about mingling with other people.

7. Record yourself and listen to make sure it comes across as you wish.

8. Smile. A smile says it all much like eye contact.

9. Find a mentor.  Find someone who is comfortable with public speaking and try to model yourself after them until you gain your own confidence.

10. Prepare.  If you have done all you can to make sure you know your speech thoroughly, you can give it confidently.

Practicing the above steps will help you improve your speaking skills.  The more comfortable you become, the more avenues there are opened to you on the road to success.