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Spiritual Confidence: The Key to Transformation March 31, 2026 13:06
“The key to unshakeable self-confidence is recognizing the deepest truth of who you are.”
Lama Döndrup Drolma
Earlier this month, I celebrated a milestone birthday, and I’ve spent some time reflecting on how I’ve grown and changed over the decades.
I’m a Fire Horse, and this Lunar New Year, the Fire Horse has returned. According to an online astrology website, Fire Horses tend to have intense energy, and they are independent, loyal, protective, witty, impatient, strong-willed, restless, and courageous.
While some of these traits resonate with me, they certainly explain some things.
I remember as a kid feeling very adventurous. Most adults, especially controlling and authoritative ones, didn’t like me very much, my parents, included. They didn’t appreciate my open willingness to express my thoughts. I was fearless, I was brave, and I was confident, and babysitters, teachers, and especially my stepfather, did not appreciate my bold, strong-willed nature.
Instead of redirecting these early inclinations or teaching me to harness these traits, my stepfather clamped down hard. He was overly harsh, demanding, and punitive with me. I was not his biological child, and he treated me very differently from his own daughter. He broke my spirit with his constant demands, rules, mockery, and judgments, and that bold, confident little girl soon became a fearful, acquiescent people pleaser.
Since then, I haven’t had the greatest luck with high-control, authoritarian people. I dealt with several Type-A principals over the course of my teaching career when I was teaching full-time. I felt uneasy in their presence, and I felt confined, ignored, irrelevant, and misunderstood under their leadership, but it was in the best interest for me and my family to comply and “play nice” if I wanted to stay employed.
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In recent years, things have changed and shifted for the better. That bold, playful, and resourceful spirit that had been silenced and suppressed has found her voice again, thanks in large part to meditation.
I recently read a Lion’s Roar article, “Be Confident in Your Buddhanature,” by Lama Döndrup Drolma. This article explained how specific Buddhist practices can cultivate and develop genuine self-confidence.
Wisdom, clarity, and compassion are the qualities of our true nature, our Buddhanature, if you will, and they are the essence of spiritual confidence. This confidence isn’t determined by external circumstances or ego. It isn’t something to be earned or achieved, and it doesn’t cling to praise and pleasure or avoid shame, blame, and pain. These are fleeting experiences. Instead, this genuine confidence, or Buddhanature, is always present.
Buddhanature begins to shine when we cultivate compassion for others and develop awareness and insight through meditation practices. Meditation fosters awareness, openness, steadiness, and clarity.
We catch glimpses of this awareness from time to time, and the more we meditate and rest in this effortless awareness, the more we develop wisdom, compassion, kindness, and patience for ourselves and others.
In other words, genuine confidence isn’t something outside of ourselves, and it doesn’t rely on others; it’s who we really are.
Trusting in this awareness, this natural confidence allows us to face challenging times with clarity, calm, and determination while still being able to remain kind and open with others.
Recognizing this confidence is the key to our transformation, and it empowers us to live authentic lives.
Buddhanature is vast and clear—and it allows us to trust in our true nature and no longer need to prove our worth through external accomplishments and achievements.
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The confidence I felt as a kid was fragile and unstable, and it was easily fractured by the disapproval and demands of others. This is ordinary pride, and it is rooted in arrogance and self-centeredness.
It has taken a long time, and the progress has been very subtle and gradual, but daily meditation practice has helped me cultivate a more genuine, authentic confidence.
I’m able to catch glimpses of it more frequently, and it motivates me to think of others more and to take more thoughtful action.
One example of this occurred during the recent No Kings rally on Saturday, March 28. My family and I stood in the grassy area near the library with our signs along with 500 other protesters.
We stood together as a community, in solidarity, speaking out against an unjust war in Iran, against unspeakable cruelty, against ICE, against detention centers, against incompetent, selfish leadership, against rising costs of groceries, gas, healthcare, and utilities, against lies and corruption, against the Epstein Files, and against the overall and constant chaos this administration has unleased.
We stood together—for a variety of reasons—united. I live in a small, conservative community. Often, I feel like a political oddball in this community, but it was encouraging, empowering, and refreshing to stand together with so many people for a common cause.
My husband and I joked on the way there that we’d only see ten people at this rally, but when we turned the corner and saw hundreds of people chanting slogans and carrying signs, we were pleasantly surprised and encouraged.
The crowd was joyful—we chatted between chants. Organizers passed out flyers and buttons. Political candidates spoke with potential constituents. A group of kids blew bubbles into the clear blue sky from the far edge of the field. Several people even brought their dogs with them (we saw a Great Dane, a Pitbull, a Collie, and a cha-cha-cha Chihuahua😊).
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Spiritual confidence allows us to stay calm and grounded in the face of confusion and chaos. It allows us to face uncertainty with grace, dignity, compassion, and steadiness.
Our true nature is vast and luminous. It doesn’t cling or grasp, and it is not diminished by judgement or external circumstances. Instead, genuine confidence, or Buddhanature, grounds us in skillful, compassionate action, it liberates us from doubt, it broadens our awareness, and it allows us to rest in the realization of meaningful practice.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s blog offering. I hope the upcoming spring months treat you well, and I hope that you will continue to cultivate your own Buddhanature through your meditation practice.
I have added a few new mala designs to the online shop. While you’re here, please have a look at the current collection.
Take care--