Possessing a strong sense of who you are and what you are capable of can carry you a long way in reaching your goals. The opposite is also true: Taking on a difficult task while full of self-doubt and pessimism often leads to failure. Marcus Garvey, a Black leader and activist in the early 20th century, believed this so thoroughly that he saw confidence as a victory in itself. He said, “If you have no confidence in self you are twice defeated in the race of life.”