The grass is always greener on the other side, right? Even when you’re thinking, “Nothing can bring me down!,” someone comes along with a newer car, a better job, and a thinner waist – and suddenly your pedestal doesn’t seem so high. Your confidence plummets, and with it plummets any chance of becoming successful. Here are a few tips to help you build your confidence (from the ground up!) and strengthen your sense of self-worth.
1. Recognize – Recognize your insecurities. Identifying the things that make you feel unworthy or ashamed will help you learn to accept them…and ultimately work to improve them. Set goals to rectify the things that make you unhappy (e.g., your belly fat) and learn to accept the things you can’t change (e.g., your height). Now, grab a separate piece of paper and recognize your successes. Everyone is good at something, including you. Focus on your talents, your passions, and your positive traits – there are more than you think.
2. Realize – Realize that even the most attractive, successful, and confident people aren’t perfect – no one is. They all have their own insecurities, self-doubts, and pitfalls. Take Miss Teen South Carolina, for example. When asked why one-fifth of Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a map, she replied with a string of unrelated words that seemed to last entirely too long. She became the laughingstock of the world in less than five minutes – despite her beauty queen appearance and bikini body.
3. Fake It – Fake it till you make it. If you act confident, you’ll become confident. Try it! Self-pity is a state of mind – so change the way you think. Smile at yourself in the mirror and think positively, even if you don’t feel positive. If you belittle yourself, others are going to belittle you as well. But if you speak positively about yourself, you’ll project those qualities onto others.
4. Be Good – Be a good person. Help others. When you make a positive difference in someone else’s life, if only a small one, you’ll feel more positive overall. Stick to your principles and don’t allow others to sway your beliefs. As the saying goes, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” When it comes right down to it, having strong values and an overall “good person” attitude will boost your confidence and draw positivity to you like a moth to a flame.
True confidence doesn’t happen overnight, but before long, you’ll realize you have the greenest lawn around.