Confidence and Happiness: Moraa Ongwae at TEDxYouth@BrookhouseSchool (Transcript)

Here is the full transcript of Moraa Ongwae on Confidence and Happiness at TEDxYouth@BrookhouseSchool conference.

TRANSCRIPT:

It is said that confidence comes from within, meaning that you are the only one who can make yourself feel confident. So, what does this have to do with happiness? I’m assuming that we all want to live happy lives, right? And I believe that you cannot live a happy life unless you’re confident in yourself.

Why? Before I continue, you first need to know what this word “confidence” means. Confidence is the belief or assurance that one can accomplish any task, no matter the difficulties or obstacles that you may encounter. Confidence could also be the feeling that one gets from appreciating their own qualities and abilities.

Now, back to my question, why is it that some people who are more confident in themselves tend to live happier lives, as opposed to those who have little or no confidence at all? This is because, when you’re comfortable with who you are, you often look at the positive aspects of life, while if you’re less confident in yourself, you often look at the negative aspects of life. Positive thoughts lead to happiness, while negative thoughts lead to sadness, and, in worst-case scenarios, it could lead to depression or stress.

Think about it. People like Oprah Winfrey and Walt Disney have both been successful just because they thought positive, despite the negative circumstances. Oprah is one of the most iconic faces on television, as well as one of the richest and most successful women in the world, regardless of the fact that she had an abusive childhood and numerous career setbacks, including being fired from her job as a television reporter because she was deemed “unfit for TV”.

Today, Disney gets a profit of billions from movies, merchandise, theme parks, and it even has its own television channel. However, Walt Disney himself had a bit of a rough start. He got fired by a newspaper editor because he “lacked imagination” and had “no good ideas”. He later went on to start a number of businesses which ended up in bankruptcy and failure, but, due to his positive thinking, he kept on going, until he finally created Disney.