Self-Belief Is the Statue You Award Yourself

A note to young leaders.

Here’s a curious fact.

Movie stars who win an Oscar live on average four years longer than nominees who don’t win.

And those who win more than one Oscar, live on average six years longer than mere nominees.

Same industry. Same wealth. Same access to personal trainers and private doctors. So what’s going on here?

Winning an Oscar boosts your social status – and that kind of validation rewires how your body handles pressure. Your cortisol drops, your sleep improves, you recover faster.

But you don’t need a golden statue to achieve the same effects.

You just need to like yourself. Genuinely – not in a rah-rah, motivational-poster kind of way. Believe that the world is a better place for having you in it. That you bring something special that no one else on Earth can replicate.

And ignore the critics. They’ll be there when you’re 25, and sadly they’ll still be there when you’re 55. I can now personally vouch for that, having turned 55 on Saturday.

Whatever you do – don’t let your critics’ voice become your inner voice.

Nourish your self-esteem like your life depends on it – because it does.