English actor Roger Moore may have become world famous for essaying the role of James Bond, but it was not an easy climb to the top. As a youngster, he struggled with his self-image. He was shy, overweight and full of self-doubts. This only got compounded when his father once remarked that he was “a sack of shit tied up ugly in the middle’.

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He battled his insecurity everyday. He hated visiting restaurants as he was paranoid that he would eat more and put on more weight. He did not even graduate. He winced deep within with all those negative remarks against him.

One day, Roger Moore decided he was going to change his future.

He invented a character that he would like to be. A new Roger Moore was born. He acted, thought and behaved like the character he had created as that was what he wanted to be: Self-assured and confident in every move. He soon saw how his attitude towards himself changed for the better.

Well-known American typeface designer, Sol Hess said, “Be somebody. If you have lost confidence in yourself, make believe that you are somebody else, somebody with brains, and act like him.” Actually, this is what Roger Moore did to develop his charming and powerful personality. We can all do something like this. Think of an icon you admire. Study his or her characteristics, behaviour and style. Analyse what made them powerful thinkers and doers. As you think of your icon, see how and what you can integrate in your personality. Acting is not easy, but over a period of time, it becomes a natural part of you.

Another ploy that you can employ is to jot down a few behaviour traits that you would have liked for yourself. For example, think of some traits you would have had if you were supremely confident. Then, start acting out those traits and see how it effortlessly merges into your personality in a short time. Playwright William Shakespeare aptly said, “Assume a virtue if you have it not.”

The character you create can also be fictional. Just as Roger Moore created James Bond. All it requires is a little imagination and some determination to change. You will soon see how confidence thrives, grows and develops within you to create something you have always secretly wanted.

Ramesh Menon is a journalist and corporate trainer