Confidence

Here's a blurb of some of my thoughts as of late...if you make it through my tangled mess of thoughts there are links to an amazing song at the bottom :)

I've been thinking a lot about confidence lately...and get ready, I'm about to say some form of "confident" a bajillion times...
(whenever I think of the word confidence I often think of Julie Andrews marching around singing "I have confidence in sunshine! i have confidence in rain! I have confidence that spring will come again! Besides what you see I have confidence in ME!!") Classic movie, Sound of Music.

Where do we get confidence? Is it something we find from others? Is it something we feel when we are doing things we are good at? Do we self-generate it? I think it's a mix of all these things. Who doesn't feel a boost of confidence when someone compliments them, or when you're in your element, doing something you know you're good at?
Above all, I think the key to becoming truly confident is in finding that inner confidence, the feeling that we don't need anyone or anything else to make us happy but ourselves. We need to find that genuine confidence that we are someone worth knowing, that we are capable, accomplished, amazing individuals with so much potential to do great things. I'm not talking about arrogance, I'm talking about genuine confidence. Someone who is genuinely confident doesn't need to showcase their worth. Someone with genuine confidence has a quiet, dignified way of being confident. Someone with genuine confidence gives confidence to others, makes others feel like a million bucks, compliments people in front of others, seems to always give more credit and take more blame. Do you know people like that in your life? I certainly do, and it just radiates from them!! I want that!!

I LOVED the book called "25 ways to win with People". (I read it a long time ago for a school paper) I felt confident just after reading it!! The book mentions complementing others in front of others, giving others credit, giving focus to others (not always being the center of attention), pointing out people's strengths... It is one of those self help books that teaches you how to help others, yet in the process you're helping yourself, SCORE! When I imagine someone who does all those things, I can't help but think of someone with genuine confidence. So if you feel yourself lacking in confidence, try to boost someone else's confidence and you'll find yourself feeling better and better.

I want to be that person that can always give a boost of energy, a kind word or enthusiastic compliment from. I remember what high school was like, the insecure feelings I had, wanting to be someone else, feeling like there were all these 'projections' of what I should be...I'm so glad those days are over for me...wait, but are they? Well I don't know about you, but I still feel insecure sometimes! Intimidated? uh yep I still feel that sometimes too...do you? Am I the only one? I hope not. I certainly don't believe I have "arrived" at any point, I'm still on my journey. And it feels good to say that!!  Would I say I'm confident? No... but sometimes I'm am!! I'm learning more and more that attributes are not black and white, you are something or you aren't something. It's circumstantial. Am I a nice person? Yes...but ask my mother, sometimes I'm NOT :).

Here is a song that has really caught me because of the message it gives, "I, I feel lovely, just the way that I am". Such a great thing that I think ALL of us women need to hear, because I really believe as women we are too hard on ourselves.

My favorite part of the Lyrics:

I don't wanna be her,
I just wanna be little old me
I shouldn't have to think "who am I supposed to be today?"
What gave you the right,
to tell me who I should be
Who gave you the right?

Cause I, I feel lovely just the way that I am,
Yes I, I feel lovely the way that I am.

Listen Here:
Sara Haze, "Lovely"

and at the end of the song it changes from "I feel lovely" to "I AM lovely". Changes from feeling to knowing. KNOW you are lovely, inside and out!!
We need to be happy being ourselves!! Get comfortable in our own skin!! Be okay with imperfection and flaws! Stop looking at what the girl next door has and be content with YOU!! You are AMAZING!! We just need to remember the Big Guy upstairs, His love for us, and that our individual worth is "great in the sight of God".

Thanks for listening :)