5 Easy Ways To Own It
What is “it?” What does it mean to “own” it? Owning it is taking control of your confidence, your happiness, and your life. Confidence truly is key to success in anything. Think about it – if you aren’t confident in your job, you won’t get that promotion. If you aren’t confident in your friendships, they won’t be strong ones. If you aren’t confident in yourself, you’ll never reach your full potential and fully enjoy all of the wonderful things that life has to offer.
We all feel self-concious sometimes and so often believe that having confidence is easier said than done. Like everything, believing in yourself is a matter of practice. These five tips will lay the foundation for you to be confident and own every situation that life throws at you!
1) Say It
Your opinion matters! Use your personal voice the right way, and you’ll run the room. By speaking your mind you’ll demand respect and garner attention from the right people. Raise your hand more often in class, start writing a blog or journal, reach out more to friends, or join a club. When you feel as if your opinions have value you’ll feel more valued yourself, and you’ll become more comfortable with speaking freely. People love people who aren’t afraid to speak their mind! If you speak your mind and are comfortable doing so, you will probably make more friends, real friends, who respect you for who you are.
2) Think It
Believing you exude confidence is the quickest way to make it appear that you do. Inner belief will be reflected in outward actions. You know that phrase, “fake it until you make it?” In some cases, it works! Believing that you’re confident will make you more confident, in the same way that believing you aren’t confident will diminish your shine. Having a mantra that you mentally say whenever you don’t feel so confident is a major quick-fix to those moments when you don’t believe in yourself. Get yourself in this mindset: You can do anything, and you can succeed at everything you put your mind to!
3) Wear It
Wear what makes you feel good. Being comfortable and happy in your clothes and style will lead you to carry yourself in a more confident, self-assured way. Wearing what you want will always make you feel better than wearing what you think you need to wear. Whether it’s a leopard-print jacket, an old t-shirt from your favorite band, or something that looks like it’s straight out of a Halloween store, your personal style is valuable, and will send a message to others that you are comfortable in anything! Weight and appearance are two of the most typical insecurities, but you should never let those feelings get in the way of you fully expressing yourself and showing everyone your awesome wardrobe. When you wear what you feel good in, you’ll feel good about yourself, and it will show! Carry yourself with your shoulders back, chin up, and a smile on your face so that no matter what you’re wearing, everyone will know you feel good.
4) Love It
Do what you love, and love what you do – be happy in all of your actions, even if sitting through that three-hour class isn’t your ideal way to spend a Thursday night. You’ll be more confident when you love what you do and are knowledgeable about it. If classes, work, and internships aren’t favorite activities, make time in your routine to do the things you love, whether it’s taking an extra ten minutes to read a book or spending a morning walking along the beach. Life is too short to not do the things that you love! A quick way to boost your confidence on campus is to join a club you’re passionate about. Getting involved in things you love allows your true spirit and confidence to shine through even during the toughest of situations.
5) BE IT
The easiest way to be confident is to just BE. Be yourself, wear what you want, eat what you want, say what you want, do what you want – don’t conform to what you think other people want you to be. Odds are, everyone else is too concerned with doing their own thing to judge you for being you. This is the hardest to believe, but I can guarantee that it is true. Have an awkward slip-up in conversation? Mistakenly spill coffee on your jeans? You may be embarassed but, trust me, you’re the only one. If people have the audacity to find and obsess over any little flaws you may have, it says more about them than it does about you!
When you’re fully confident, you embody the above picture. The girl above looks free, happy, and content in her life. When you free yourself from the constraints of what you think others are saying or thinking about you, and you unleash your true self.
What’s your number 1 tip for staying confident and believing in yourself? Tell us in the comments below.