This is Ron White, nd two-time USA Memory Champion.  I would like to share some things I have learned while working with my friend and mentor, former U.S. Navy SEAL T.C. Cummings, about building confidence.

Swimmers, weight lifters and even multi-level marketers understand the need to have someone to be there in case they need help. No matter if they are called spotters, swim buddies or partners, everyone should have a strong person they can trust to have their back in times of trouble, and who is honest enough to help them if they start to take the wrong turn.

Navy SEALs call their partners ‘swim buddies’ and they don’t do anything without one.  Their swim buddies make sure you are safe, and provide you with external accountability. They are there to make sure their SEAL buddy has crossed all your t’s and dotted all your i’s.  Not only that, you are THEIR swim buddy as well, and they know you will provide the same degree of safety net to them. They will call you on the carpet when you are slacking, and you will make certain they are not missing something important for their safety. They are your support system, and you are theirs.

One of the jobs SEALs do is to dragnet or clear beaches prior to others soldiers’ landing. They search for and identify obstacles placed in the water and on the beach area to wreck the hulls of the boats coming into shore. SEALs then go under water and load explosives along a string so they will go off at exactly the same time. This is a long process, and it requires spending a great deal of time in cold water.

On one operation my friend T. C. Cummings and his swim buddy were assigned to bring the detonation chord and tie the fuses together. They were about 12 feet below the surface and at their final obstacle when T.C. wondered how he was going to tie the C4 on when he couldn’t feel his fingers. He then looked over at his swim buddy and saw that he was obviously having the same problem, so he started to take care of him. His buddy did the same, and they communicated with each other in the dark water by touching their shoulders and squeezing their shoulders to get the circulation going and doing hand signals as they tied the final explosives.

During all this time their bodies were being rocked against the obstacles by the current and fish. They finally completed tying the explosives by concentrating on each other and not on the cold water, and began swimming as fast as they could back to the boat, anchored safely away from harm when the explosion went off.  “I had total confidence in myself that I would take care of my partner, and trust that he did the same for me,” T.C. said.

Having someone you are accountable for, and who trust you to be there when they need you, – how much of a confidence builder it that? You don’t want to let them down, and they don’t want to let you down, which means you each have a great deal of trust in each other.

Listen to the song by Bill Withers – Lean on Me.  One of the stanza’s is this says it all:

“Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on”

Who has your back? Is there someone you can trust enough to make sure they will be there to tell you the truth, to make sure you are heading in the right direction, and whom you can do the same thing for? Take a look around you. There is no shame in asking for help when you need it, and there is a lot of positive that comes out of being there for somebody else.

You will find the lesson on self-confidence among many available on the training CDs “Mind of a Navy SEAL,” and in our training “Think Like A U.S. Navy SEAL” workshops.

 

Sources:

“Mind of a U.S. Navy SEAL” workshop

1441TFR – Never Leave Your Swim Buddy: http://www.onefourfourone.com/never-leave-your-swim-buddy/

Attraction Marketing Formula: Your MLM Swim Muddy: http://www.attractionmarketingformula.com/mlm/your-mlm-consultant-swim-buddy/

Bill Withers, Lean on Me lyrics: http://www.weddingvendors.com/music/lyrics/b/bill-withers/lean-on-me/