Self-consciousness is an obstacle to confidence. When I lack confidence, I am focusing on myself.
Loss of Confidence
When I lack confidence, I am focusing on myself. I have a heightened feeling of uncertainty about my abilities and about my acceptability.
Confidence, for me, comes from focusing on my activity and my surroundings: the people and the objects down to their colors and details. In so doing, I become conscious of my world and hot on the things in my head.
The Hammer and the Nail
Driving a long nail into a solid piece of wood can be difficult. When I think about the length of the nail or how it might bend the nail, I often do bend the nail. Or, I might hit and damage the wood. Or even worse, I might hit my fingers or my thumb. I lack confidence. My focus is on my inability to drive a nail straight into the wood. I am self-conscious.
Success
More successfully, when I am looking directly at the head of the nail, and thinking seeing my hammer hit the nail, I lose self-consciousness, I gain confidence. I drive the nail straight into the wood.
I stay focused on my target. As coaches teach a baseball batter, see the ball into the bat.
