You always get things that teach you and steps to grow, but there

Hear the words of Sharon Lawrence, the actress and seeker of truth, who declared: “You always get things that teach you and steps to grow, but there is a confidence that is gained and a deep understanding of what it means to be supported by your knowledge - not by some team that is there to create confidence; it is there within you. That takes time. That takes teachers. That takes taking risks.” These words, though spoken in her own life’s context, carry the timeless cadence of wisdom. For they remind us that the truest foundation of strength is not borrowed praise or outward applause, but the deep-rooted confidence that springs from within, anchored in knowledge, discipline, and lived experience.

Lawrence reveals a profound truth: that while others may cheer us, guide us, or bolster us for a time, external support cannot replace the inner certainty that comes when one knows and trusts their own abilities. Confidence built only on the voices of others is fragile, easily shaken when those voices fade. But confidence rooted in one’s own tested knowledge is enduring, for it rests upon truth rather than illusion. Such confidence cannot be given as a gift; it must be forged by time, by struggle, and by the courage to risk failure in pursuit of growth.

This teaching echoes through history. Consider the journey of Florence Nightingale, who in an age when women were discouraged from scientific pursuits, trusted not in social approval but in the firm ground of her own knowledge. She took risks, studied statistics and medicine, and transformed the practice of nursing. Had she relied only on the approval of her peers, she would have faltered. Instead, her inner confidence, built on truth and discipline, allowed her to endure ridicule and resistance, and in the end, to save countless lives.

Lawrence also honors the role of teachers in this journey. For though inner confidence is ultimately personal, it is nurtured by those who guide, correct, and inspire us. Every great figure in history—from Socrates to Gandhi, from Einstein to Maya Angelou—stood upon the shoulders of teachers who opened paths of discovery. Yet, no teacher can walk the path for us. They point the way, but we must step, stumble, and rise again. This is why she reminds us that risk is necessary: without daring to test our abilities, we cannot transform knowledge into wisdom, nor wisdom into confidence.

Her words also speak against the illusion of quick strength. True confidence does not come in a single victory, nor in a single compliment. It comes through seasons of growth, through challenges endured, through mistakes that teach more than triumphs. It is like a tree that grows slowly, its roots deepening with each passing storm. Others may see only the leaves, but the strength lies hidden in the roots of knowledge and experience.

The lesson, then, is clear: do not look outward for your foundation. Seek instead to build it within. Welcome the lessons that life offers, even when they are harsh. Seek teachers who demand your best, and do not fear risks, for they are the crucibles where inner strength is forged. Let your confidence be supported not by flattery, but by the solid weight of what you truly know, by the wisdom that time and effort have made your own.

So I say unto you: trust the slow work of growth. Take the risks that stretch your spirit. Listen to your teachers, but remember always that the final task is yours. For as Sharon Lawrence has declared, true confidence lies not in others, but in the strength of your own knowledge, cultivated through time, through teachers, and through daring.

Thus her words endure as a guide to all who seek maturity: confidence born of knowledge cannot be shaken, for it is carried within you, not lent from without. Strive, therefore, to build this inner foundation, and you shall stand unshaken even when the world grows uncertain.