Self-confidence is such a beautiful and fragile thing. Living in an age where we are surrounded by seemingly unreachable beauty standards, it can be quite easy to feel inadequate, unworthy and simply not pretty or skinny enough. If I could teach the world one lesson, it would be that the true measure of beauty is what you have inside of you. It’s not how you look, but rather how you live your life and how you make others feel. Beauty is more than just skin deep.
Sadly, self-confidence is a rollercoaster, even from an early age. Whether it’s a bully telling you you’re fat or ugly in school or finding out that the boy or girl you have a crush on likes someone else, it’s easy to feel unworthy from early stages of life. Many kids feel confusion as to how to fit in and fear not being accepted, which is something that we’ve all gone through and will continue to go through. There will be highs and there will be lows, but I have great news: You’re in for the ride of your life and all of these experiences are making you into the person you’re destined to become... and that person is great!
That is why it is so important to realize that being a good person with good morals, having a willingness to help others and having the drive to work hard for what you want is more than enough! By having these qualities, you should have confidence in yourself that you are more than just “good enough.” You are special and a good person, which is worth way more than the circumstances that you were born into.
Throughout my life, I, like many others, have struggled with self-confidence for many different things. While my struggles were very difficult to overcome, I would not be where I am today if not for having experienced them! Today, I am proud and confident with the person that I am after all of the difficulties I have endured. I have gradually learned through these experiences to love and even appreciate myself more throughout the years. While I still ride the “self-confidence rollercoaster” like everyone else, I know who I am on the inside and know that I am the result of my life choices and experiences.
I have learned that self-confidence has a lot of layers. I myself thought that self-confidence would come from liking my exterior, only to learn that even when I got to a place of being happy with my appearance, my spirit was still in limbo. Acceptance of yourself in your soul and spirit – that is the prize to be won. We are all unique and many of us try to transform ourselves into what we think others want. Many people will go through hell to try to transform him or herself into this “ideal” person that society has led them to believe is perfect.
I’ve been there. I was that girl, too, and this is something that I really struggled with growing up. I have learned from my constant trials and tribulations that you will only be free when you can accept and appreciate your inner self in your soul and spirt. Through accepting and loving myself on the inside, I began to appreciate my exterior even more!
I was recommended to read a book by my acting coach, Susan Batson, called “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. This book helped me change my art and my life in ways I never thought possible! In this book, you are recommended to do a bunch of different exercises to help free your mind from clutter. I changed one of her suggested exercises to make it my own and it has helped me to grow tremendously. In my version of the exercise you’re encouraged to write down things about yourself and your life that you like. When I started this exercise there were only a few things I could write down. Over time, you wouldn’t believe the changes that happened within me and the things I began to see in myself. I even began to believe in myself more and appreciate my qualities that made me unique.
It is so easy to focus on the negatives in life and complain about them. By starting off your day with this exercise, focusing on all of the positives in your life, you get your mind in such a great state to tackle the day with confidence. Whether it is a quality you like about yourself or reminding yourself of your goals, you will see your self-confidence improving and your goals and dreams will start to manifest. It’s truly magical!
Different things work for different people but I’d love to share some of the things that have helped me in hopes that maybe they can help you, too. As you know from my blog last week, I think that the power of Prayer and having faith are very powerful. I have also learned that quieting the mind through meditation is very therapeutic for me and has allowed me to live in the moment and appreciate each day as a gift. If you’re feeling really low, there are people willing to help all around you. You just need to reach out and ask!
Self-confidence is something that comes from within you. You shouldn’t rely on other people and their opinions of you to help you feel better about yourself, just like you shouldn’t let them make you feel bad about yourself. Everyone is going to have an opinion, so what is most important is the way you feel about yourself. Be true to yourself and be a good person that you can have confidence in representing! There is nobody in the world that can rock YOU the way that you can, so own it! You are wonderful the way God made you, so live your life in a way that you can be proud and confident with! I will leave you with a quote from one of the most brilliant doctors of our time: Dr. Seuss!
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is You-er than You.”
XO
PS - I would love to hear what helps you in your day to give you confidence! Comment below so that we can all help and learn from each other!