Confidence is a character trait that you earn and develop in yourself. It’s pretty similar to going to the gym.

Youthful confidence is boisterous and grandiose. It’s only a matter of time before it’s tested, and often this confidence is brittle. It’s not real yet.

A mature confidence isn’t easily shaken. Bad things can happen—an omen of bad luck, an unexpected disadvantage, or a missed opportunity—and if you’ve mastered your confidence, you will remain steady. Not only have you seen this before, you know how to talk to yourself calmly and work through it.

More importantly, you are confident that you will show up and be present. No matter what happens, you will figure it out. You make decisions that put you in a position of determination, not desperation.

You think you want the experiences, the status, and the wealth it takes to feel the confidence, but those aren’t prerequisites. A lot of people acquire those things and still feel like they’re missing confidence, and plenty also don’t have those things and still have confidence in themselves. It’s something you work on directly.