The feeling of growing stronger
A strange tension filled the room as the two looked at each other. They were friends, partners, roommates, but more than that, they were two young men with strong ambitions. If anyone else were to learn of the scale of their ambitions they would laugh at them as two deluded kids. But to them, they were absolutely serious in their pursuits, and the source of that was their inherent pride.
Whether it was their life experiences, their background, their skills, abilities, training, strength or whatever else, it culminated in a sense of pride that allowed them to believe that whatever they aimed for was within reach. In a way, that pride was also their source of self confidence. Or maybe it was their self confidence that resulted in that pride.