the key to confidence

Confidence doesn’t mean thinking you are inherently “above” others, or loving the way you look or who you are all the time.

True confidence is vested in the knowledge that we are all human, and are bound to feel insecure sometimes or make mistakes. It’s knowing that we won’t always feel beautiful, and it’s inevitable that we crumble under the weight of other people's words or external pressures from time to time.  

But I’ve learned that I can still maintain confidence regardless of what goes on around me, or even how I feel about myself in most situations. 

The truth is, confidence is a state of mind. It’s being assured in yourself and knowing that, even if you don’t feel your best, you are still YOU and that is more than enough. 

I think this all stems from your sense of worth, and luckily, how you define your worth is something you can easily work on. 

Some things that helped me establish a higher sense of worth, and as a result, confidence, was going to the gym consistently, cutting people that were actively bringing me down from my life, pursuing things I was passionate about, learning new hobbies and just generally being more conscious of what made me happy and what didn’t – and doing more of those things that brought me joy. 

Whenever I go into a room, even if I don’t feel super confident with myself at that moment, I always remember to at least pretend. 

Imagine that whenever you enter a room, there is a golden light radiating from you, and that the place you are in at that very moment is exactly where you need to be. Make sure you’re standing up straight, smiling, and try to be inviting and ready to talk to other people.

This will almost trick your brain into believing that you are confident.

It’s also important to remember that your worth doesn’t depend on external things, achievements or other people's perceptions of you.

You are worth so much just because you are you, and you make other people's lives better by simply being a part of it. 

That in itself should grant you confidence. 

Confidence is extremely difficult to master, but just visualize what a confident person looks like in your mind. What is their expression like? What are they doing or saying? 

Try to embody this, even if it’s feigned. The key to confidence is pretending when you need to.