One of the biggest boosts in confidence I have had when it comes to speaking Spanish is social media. Ever since I started dedicating my time to improving my Spanish, I have tried to use social media as a way to boost my confidence and give me the kick I needed to keep going when the going got tough. I have discovered websites, such as The Mixxer that offer free search engines to reach out to other language learners and in turn we are able to use tools such as Skype to set up intercambios where we can take turns practicing our second or even third languages.
I have found Facebook groups who love to discuss learning Spanish, and countless YouTube videos that offer lessons and advice on how to improve your language skills. All in all, I have found that reaching out to others is a great way to find the inspiration, motivation, and confidence to push on when I find myself in a rut. Unfortunately, there are also negative aspects of social media. There are those who find pleasure in bringing others down. Instead of inspiring, they discourage, ridicule, and belittle those that are seeking positive reinforcement. Fortunately for me, I have not come across all that many of these individuals, although I have heard plenty of stories from others. I do my best to ignore those who thrive on negative energy, and when I do stumble across someone who wants to bring me down, I find ways to ignore and avoid that person.
All that being said, there is one voice I have found that is nearly impossible to ignore. Despite my very best efforts, there seems to always be a way for this one voice to get to me. That voice is the voice inside my head, and I have discovered recently that I am not the only one affected by my own worst thoughts. My point in mentioning social media before introducing this topic was that it was on Facebook that I discovered just how overpowering ones inner voice can be, even when surrounded by positive energy. While I have found encouragement from others to be a great motivator, sometimes all the encouragement in the world won't help if you allow your inner thoughts to bring you down. I have seen posts from individuals who have nothing but negative things to say about themselves. Despite all the encouragement the other members of the group try to offer, there seems to be no hope in changing their negative self outlook. It bothers me greatly to see this, as the only person standing in their way from excelling is themselves. I have learned from my own experience, we are our own worst critic. If we allow ourselves to accept our own criticisms, we will never be able to advance. Yes, it takes confidence to go out there and speak in a foreign language, but we have to overcome our own insecurities, our own self doubt, and take a very scary leap forward. Yes, it's frightening, but we can all do it. This was something I had to teach myself, but I also owe a lot of thanks to those who encouraged me along the way.
So, in the end, don't be afraid to reach out to those on social media for encouragement, but more importantly, don't be afraid to be your own positive motivator. Don't let your inner voice scare you. Challenge yourself and be positive. Negative thoughts will get you nowhere. Who's with me?
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