Concepts Never Learned

I was watching this documentary on PBS about some troubled kids. Well, they went to this special school where the approach was more positive reinforcement than punishment-orientated.
So, of course, they are talking in psychological terms..You know, like those "positive affirmation" phrases I think they're called. I'm pretty cynical about those things so most of it just went by unnoticed until this phrase:
"Have faith in yourself" was spoken.
Have Faith In Yourself.
I don't think I've ever really heard that phrase spoken to me. I don't think I've ever really truly grasped that concept of believing that I could actually follow through with something and not fuck it up or have fate (or God? I don't like to think He'd want me to fail) throw a monkey wrench in.
I'm getting too old to blame childhood for every goddam thing but I've got to say that this concept was never instilled in me. My life shows it too. Any time I've started working towards a goal, I've quit from uncertainty and feeling that I would fail. I've got to think about this and maybe apply it to some new goals. I think that I have reason to have faith in myself. Just never occurred to me to do so. Too bad they didn't have this kind of thing when I was in school. I may have turned out differently.
As an adult, I'm a damned slow learner when it comes to life skills and emotional maturity.