Self-esteem, Reynolds hopes we understand, “is earned through effort and success;” it doesn’t arrive before we begin:
"You don’t need self-esteem or self-confidence to get done what you need to do in life. When you start out on any new undertaking you are unlikely to begin it with the assurance that you will succeed… When people tell you have done a good job, when you see the desired results of your work, it is then that you begin to feel confidence in your ability to do the job well, not before you begin it. So you can begin a project without self-confidence; just begin."
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