Self belief and self confidence

Do you ever have days where you feel more confident than others? Days where you just feel like something is missing, it almost feels like you ordered your favorite slice of cake but the baker forgot the frosted icing, it still tastes good but there's something missing.

What is it about our inner selves that one day makes us feel like Queen Bee and the next we're a worker bee, just like everyone else working our tail off but getting nowhere fast.

How did this happen? It is not like we drank a magic potion before bed and woke as this different side of ourselves, it has to be more than mindset and we can not give the responsibility of how we feel to someone else. So how do we gain and keep our own self belief and increase our self confidence?

Knowledge is Power

What is your expertise? Do you know everything that you need to for your chosen career? Have you taken time to learn all you can to move you forward in your own business or in your employment? Do you know more about your job than your co workers? If the answer is no, this is one area that you must work on to boost your self confidence. There is nothing more rewarding that that moment when you are the Queen of your castle, when no one can second guess you because you are the expert. If there is an area that you could know more about, do it, find out all you can, hire a mentor, absorb like a sponge all that you can so that you become so confident in your own skin that your peers look up to you.

Body Language

When we feel low in confidence it appears to affect not only our emotions and how we speak, but also our exterior body movements, we hold ourselves differently, our head dips, our shoulders slouch, we shuffle our feet, we fumble with our hands. When we become aware of these traits we must automatically stop. Take a deep breath and reverse it all, no matter how nervous we feel, simply by standing tall, raising our chin, pushing our shoulders back we feel more confident, our body language completely changes and people approach us differently, it is almost as if fairy dust has been sprinkled on us , we feel more alive and ready to take on the world.

The Little Things

Setting high targets although a great incentive can sometimes set us up for failure and lower our self esteem. It is more beneficial in our search for increased self confidence to set a variety of smaller goals, the accumulation of smaller targets reached simultaneously can have a greater effect on our self esteem the the one larger goal, specifically when we are trying to increase our self belief.

Dress for the Job you want not the Job you have

Have you noticed how you feel dependent on how you dress. Dress for success. Even on those days when you just want to pull your hair back and stay in your PJ's. It is amazing how much more confident you will feel when you dress differently. Think about how you feel when you dress for an interview compared to that day working from home. What is the difference ? You are still you, the same qualifications, the same expertise but without a doubt you hold yourself differently when you go into a meeting with your superiors than you do with your co workers. Impress yourself, feel good about you, dress like you are going on a date with yourself, it will be amazing how much your self confidence will grow with this simple act for yourself.

Your Health is Your wealth

How we feel from within, shows on the outside. When we feel good, we look good and our confidence soars. We must be aware of the importance of self care if we want to remain confident. Taking care of our mental health is just as important as being mindful of our diet. Sleep, exercise, self care, reflection all play a part in preserving our self confidence.

Your People

We all have friendship groups and peer groups, but not all groups are equal. How many friends or colleagues actually make us feel empowered? I'd guess we have more people in our lives that like to break us than we have that support us.

your people should be the group of people who you can look up to, those who not only support you but inspire you.

I am not suggesting that you break away from all of your friends, simply that to grow your self confidence that you find like minded people to raise you up just as you raise them.

Mindfulness

Be mindful of your surroundings, live in the moment, be grateful and be aware. The best way I find to keep grounded is to journal. Take time to spend even a few minutes in your day to count your blessings. Nothing can make you more confident than being aware of your achievements, taking time to think on paper can be an inspiring way to make you realize how wonderful your life actually is, how far you have come and how your journey is developing.

Be Yourself

Confidence is a sign of leadership. Confident women do not follow trends or expectations, they make their own rules to live by. Self confident women often have their own style and aesthetic, they do not label themselves, they are confident in their own skin.

They are passionate women, you can see their passion in all that they do, and in doing so they appear confident to the outside world simply by their actions, how we perceive them.

If you can enjoy what you are doing in life, your personal life, your private life and your business life, self confidence will be attracted to you, there will not be such a challenge to achieve it. Being happy finding joy in your life builds self confidence and self belief.

Courage and Bravery

Making your own decisions is never easy. However letting someone else make them for you is still a decision, and it's a decision that you do not control. Making decisions personally and professionally is always a risk but not making them is not an option.

Facing challenges and fears is another way that boosts self confidence, it may feel daunting at the time, but the result will empower you without a doubt.

Focus on the result not the challenge, keep a positive mindset. Positive thoughts create self confidence. believe in yourself.

Self Belief

You will be judged regardless of your actions. You can not be all things to everyone, some people will love you and others may loathe you, in the end the only thing that matters is how you view yourself. When you look in the mirror, be proud of who you are to you. As your reflection smiles back , be proud of your achievements and be confident in who you are now and who you are yet to become.

xx Lei

6 Journal Prompts for Self Confidence

• What makes you unique?

• What is your superpower?

• Who inspires you ?

• Why do they inspire you?

• Make a list of your best personality traits?

• What do you consider your top 10 accomplishments?

SELF CONFIDENCE IS A SUPERPOWER. ONCE YOU START TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF MAGIC STARTS HAPPENING - UNKNOWN