It is an unfortunate fact that in numerous cases in life, the only thing holding people back is themselves. The most successful people in the world are those that exude confidence. By presenting yourself in a professional, assured manner, you are far more likely to gain the respect of your peers, leading to better career opportunities, better social lives, and more. So why should anyone hold themselves back with personal insecurities and inhibitions? Even the shyest person can change their entire life by learning to present themselves with confidence. The following steps will help you to learn to release your inhibitions and make the most out of your each and every day.

Step One: Look Your Inhibitions In The Face
The first crucial step in learning how to be a more assured, more confident person is to understand what is holding you back. Sometimes, a past negative experience can affect you even years after the incident has been forgotten. For example, a person may have at some point in the past been a completely wild and flagrant character, but after an embarrassing social experience, that person would never be caught dead performing crazy antics or parading around in sexy costumes again. Alternatively, if a person was constantly lectured as a child for being raucous or excessively talkative, then he or she might remain with an instinct to be quiet and unassuming as an adult.

Other people are able to be confident and self-assured around friends and family, but are extremely uncomfortable when speaking to strangers, executives, or other persons whom they do not know on a personal basis. This form of shyness stems from a fear of important figures' opinions and often reflects an inner self-consciousness.

Still, for some people, their fears and inhibitions are simply the result of a birth-given nature to be shy and reserved. However, even if this is the case, there are still methods of coercing yourself to step out of your shell. The important part is that you realize that shyness is an integral part of your personality and hard work will be required in order to overcome it.

Step Two: Teach Yourself What Really Matters
After identifying your problem, it is time to confront it. Ask yourself: Why is this holding me back? Why does this matter? If a previous negative experience is causing your inhibitions, then you need to teach yourself that the past is the past. Who you are and the choices you make today are entirely different from who you used to be. There is no reason to allow past incidences to inhibit your future. It is only fear that is holding you back; to release your inhibitions and change your life, all you must do is face your fears and show yourself that the past has no bearing on who you are today.

If your reservations are directed solely towards unknown people or imposing figures, then you must present your inner fears with a good dose of sensible logic. You can only succeed in life by impressing your superiors and displaying your talents and abilities to them. How can you ever accomplish that if you are shy and unapproachable every time you encounter someone important? Additionally, when you meet strangers on the street, there is no reason why you cannot be as friendly and sociable with them as you are with your friends and family. Until you meet someone, you have no way of knowing if they are friendly or hostile, kind or unaccommodating, important or forgettable. The only way to learn is to reach out and meet people.

It is a bit harder for people who are naturally shy to confront their issues. You cannot simply identify a defect in your personality and then set about fixing it. However, by reminding yourself at regular intervals that there is no reason to hold on to your inhibitions and insecurities, you can gradually help yourself to overcome your bashfulness. This process will be difficult and can only be accomplished with time and practice.

Step Three: Practice What You Preach
Anyone can say that they are going to release all their inhibitions and turn their lives around. However, in order to truly change yourself, you must be willing to put aside all your fears and make some progress. The only way to completely eliminate your inhibitions is to force yourself around them. Practice speaking to strangers in the grocery store, or force yourself to take bold romantic steps with your boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. This will likely cause you to feel embarrassed and uncomfortable at first. However, with time, your true inner confidence will begin to emerge, and your former reluctance in all social situations will be a thing of the past. By releasing your inhibitions, you can create a new, happier life for yourself.

Author's Bio: 

After spending eight years in post secondary education attaining an MBA, I got a job with one of America's largest accounting firms. After working with them for over ten years, I parted amicably and started my own thing. I am now a business man in every sense of the word and try to make money any way I can. I mostly buy and sell commodities and do some consulting on the side.