“Confidence isn’t walking into a room thinking you’re better than everyone; it’s walking in and not having to compare yourself to anyone at all.” – Unknown
I remember typing this quote into my phone and saving it in my notes, last year. It marked the first day of my self-acceptance journey. This quote completely changed the way I looked at confidence.
It took me 21 years to start accepting myself and start building my self-confidence.
That was a result of the way I thought. I constantly compared myself to others and doubted myself. I wanted everyone to like me, and I was convinced no one did.
There were times I felt so self-conscious I didn’t even want to leave my house.
It sucked. I didn’t think I was good enough.
But, the thing is, these were all lies.
My mind tricked me. Just like yours can. My thoughts would spiral out of control, and I would get incredibly anxious. I thought I could deal with it myself. I thought I could fix it myself.
I thought – I don’t have mental health struggles because I am not weak.
More lies.
People with mental health struggles, such as depression, anxiety and OCD, can be some of the strongest people out there.
Once I realized this, I sought help. I talked to the people closest to me in my life. I went after things that made me happy, not things that made others happy. I practiced catching negative thoughts and thinking about things I like about myself.
The more I did this, the more my confidence grew. Today, I still work on reaching my full potential.
Over the past year, I have been learning and reading about self-acceptance and confidence. One of the speakers I’ve become obsessed with is Mel Robbins. She said confidence is not a personality trait. It’s a skill anyone can have.
“Confidence is the willingness to listen to yourself, to believe in your instincts and to trust your inner wisdom. It’s the skill of believing in and listening to yourself. Confidence doesn’t just occur. It’s a skill, one that’s built through repeated acts of everyday courage” – Mel Robbins
Our brains are powerful and have a lot of influence on our thinking. I know some of you reading this probably said – well, duh!
Well, then why are you letting your brain control the way you feel about yourself?
You have the power. Don’t let your brain bully you.
You’re tough, right? Fight back.