"Our economy is still in a weakened condition, and our self confidence as a nation has been shaken, " Mr Lenihan said.

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According to Halvorson, our lack of self confidence in our abilities causes us to give up too soon.

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The Minister for Sport Rhodri Glyn Thomas described the triumph as a "tremendous result for Wales" and said it would be a "real boost to our national self-confidence".

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Of course confidence has many dimensions, but at the core of self-confidence is a belief in our own self-worth.

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We need citizens and parents to get involved, because nothing we do in school with make much of a difference unless we instill in our kids the self-confidence and the self-discipline and the work ethic that are at the heart of success not just in school but in life.

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But too often we choose the path of safety and give up the possibility of addressing issues that undermine our relationships, limit our productivity, chip away at self-confidence and constrain opportunity.

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It takes fearless self confidence to take the risk that our humility will be mistaken for diffidence or a deficiency in competitive fire.

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It starts with our fathers and husbands, and continues with role models and superiors who help build self confidence by giving constructive and positive feedback.

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Even though none of us is ever going to be perfect, every new competency we conquer does have a long-lasting impact on our children, from understanding how to teach children self-control, to helping them gain confidence, to learning how to gain their cooperation (so we don't resort to yelling).

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