This morning on “Meet the Press” a conversation centered on confidence. According to the pundits, no one has any. Wall Street is broken. Main Street is frozen. The president, following a Doobie Brothers song idea, is taking his ideas “to the streets” – whichever will listen. Given the state of things, it seems like ideas aren’t so much for sale these days as is confidence, and no one is really selling or instilling a whole lot of confidence.

I don’t doubt that Washington and Wall Street each have a hand in how the economy will evolve from where it is today. But what you and me? Don’t we have a hand in all this, too? Aren’t we part of this economy, and what about our own confidence? If we are selling or buying we are part of the economy and however we participate in the economy we are showing our confidence or lack thereof.

It’s understandable to have your confidence shaken if you’ve lost money in the stock market, even if you’ve lost your job. Others have fared worse, having lost their homes. Confidence is one intrinsic commodity long on demand and short in supply these days. But confidence is something we deeply possess as long as we channel our energy to activate it.

I like to exercise as a means of awakening self-confidence. The women in my family from my mother to my grandmother to my great-grandmother all had the gift of confident eye contact. Somehow that gift transferred to me, and I never shy away from strong, reassuring eye contact. It always makes me feel great to dress in nice clothes that give me confidence while simultaneously instilling others’ confidence in me.

As an image consultant, and someone who discovered the secret values of clothing thirty years ago (long before studying and practicing it professionally) I advocate the simple things in life we do have control over to instill confidence. Confidence does sell. It sells who we are and what we do. It enhances the value of our expertise, of our services and products, too. People buy on emotion. These days people are buying (or not) on the emotion of confidence.

Let me hear how are you non-verbally conveying confidence and stimulating your personal economy.

Designing your image is the secret science to your success.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps professional men and corporate workgroups create effective visual brands. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.