The thing about confidence is that
Too high levels of it can cause a problem and too low levels of it also can cause a problem.
It is like your slipper-size. Have to be exact—neither short nor long.
Remember this 2016 India-Bangladesh Match?
Bangladesh was chasing 147 to win over India .
Mushfiqur Rahim hit two fours in the last over and the Bangladesh team needed just 2 runs in the last 3 balls to win the game.
Mushfiqur Rahim went up in celebration.
He knew it was his day.
So when a day is yours, why not just take a run each for any of the two balls and end it normal? It is natural to aim big and give a finishing shot amid thundering applause.
But, the very next ball he holed out in the deep, leaving only two balls left.
Mahmudullah followed Rahim and hit the next ball too in a similar fashion instead of going for a safe and easy run.
And the last ball sadly resulted in a disastrous run-out, crashing their dreams.
This is an example of arrogance.
This happens when you are over-confident about yourself. You are so sure of winning that you take the process for granted and focus on the celebration instead. It makes you lethargic and stay light on preparation.
Want to know what confidence looks like?
The same match has that, shown by the person who did that final run-out.
When a batsman hits two fours in the last over and there are only two runs needed from the three balls, and when there are high chances of the match being a draw or Bangladesh winning, it is quite easy to lose hope.
It can even make you accept the fate sadly and give up.
But to remain calm and composed at such a situation and work with even more fervor till the last minute, hoping than you can still do something is a clear show of confidence.
Dhoni did exactly that—Maintained sharp focus and energy at such a fragile point, removed his gloves in order to hit the stumps positively if there is a chance of a run-out, did not just throw the ball at the stumps as luck cannot be trusted always (as happened in the case of the batsmen), but outpaced Rahman to reach the crease first and hit the wickets directly.
The right amount of confidence is the trust you have on your skills and energy that make you believe you still have a chance. When you translate that into work, it results in wonders.
Sometimes,
In just half-second, you can turn from a loser to winner.
Confidence is believing in the magic of that half-second and working with full hope to harness it.
Over-confidence, under-confidence or arrogance are living in denial about that half-second.