Some subjects are better mastered through the imagination than through cold and rational thinking. The arts would be a perfect example of that. We could read or discuss art for ages but unless we bring the imagination into play, not that much progress would be made.

This is also true for the subject of self-confidence. The written or spoken word can reveal some insight into the subject but the magic only happen when we interject imagination into it. The fastest route to building a healthy dose of self-confidence is through the use of imagination.

However before we get into the nitty-gritty of building a healthy dose of self-confidence by using the power of the imagination, a few words have to be said about the nature of self-confidence itself.

Self-confidence is about the self-image; it's about the way that a person sees himself. It's about the beliefs that a person has about his capacity to be in control of most situations. It's also about having a sense of adequacy and assuredness.

It's about being able to meet others on an equal basis where social proof or validation are not sought or required. It's about feeling good and comfortable about oneself. In other words, it's about self-acceptance with the feeling that nothing has to be added or taken away to stand on an equal basis with anyone else.

There are no pre-requisite needed to have self-confidence. Each of us is unique, has his strengths and shortcomings. That's what makes us human and worthy of being accepted by ourselves and anyone else.

It's a state that anyone can acquire and one that can best be acquired through the use of imagination and association. The technique to accomplish that is quite simple and highly effective.

All that needs to be done is to associate ourselves with an image of strength and power. The image used is called an avatar. An avatar is simply an image that represents us and that we can associate with.

As an example, for years I have used the English Bulldog as my avatar. I identify with the Bulldog and in doing so, through the magic of the imagination, I acquire the qualities and attributes of that magnificent animal, which are strength and self-confidence.

The closer and more present the association with the avatar, the stronger and faster the transformation will be. Personally, I've owned Bulldogs; I keep a magnificent Bulldog sculpture on my working desk as a constant reminder and I have used the picture of my last Bulldog as my avatar in over 30,000 posts on the Internet.

The avatar that we use becomes a type of self-branding. It is something that we associate with and becomes closely associated with the way that we see ourselves. Through the magic of the imagination, fantasy becomes reality and the metamorphosis occurs.

Images are widely used as metaphors to represent a nation, a company, an organization or a single individual. A single image can represent an entire philosophy, culture or a particular state of mind. That's what creates the magic of the metaphor and gives it its effectiveness.

For a quantum leap in increasing the level of self-confidence, simply find an image of strength that you can identify with, use your imagination to associate with it... and watch miracles happen.