Hey There!!
Check out my published article in Nia Magazine!
Super excited about it. Pray it blesses you.
ORIGINAL POST HERE: http://www.niamagazine.com/5-ways-to-live-confidently/
“With confidence, you have won before you have started” – Marcus Garvey
When you think about those people who are successful and you aspire to be like, such as Oprah, Martha Stewart, Farrah Gray, the late Steve Jobs, Bill Gates or even the power music couple Jay-Z and Beyonce’, what is the common character trait that they possess?
The answer…CONFIDENCE!
Each believe and have firm trust in not only their talent, but also themselves. And because confidence is contagious, we as viewers believe in them.
It’s been stated that the number one reason people never take the leap of faith to do those things they love and become who they are destined to be, is: a lack of confidence.
You’ve always wanted to quit the corporate life and start your own company but you say you can’t because you don’t have the money to do so. Well, here’s a newsflash – the lack of money is not the real issue.
A lack of confidence is.
Many of those moguls did not have the money to start their brands but they definitely possessed the confidence. I still remember Farrah Gray’s story shared on Oprah of how he sold painted rocks at the age of six and became a young millionaire with other business ventures by age fourteen; just because he knew he could.
With the quote that began this article, the young Farrah Gray won before he began! It’s time for you to do the same.
Here are 5 ways to Live Confidently. Now.
1. Know Who You Are
When you know who you are, and are accepting of who you are, you are not easily broken when someone else challenges you to be something different. This, I will admit, doesn’t happen overnight, but once you know who you are it becomes unshakeable.
Identify your strengths and opportunities, then learn how to celebrate your strengths in all that you do. If you don’t know what they are, start by completing a simple exercise: list five things that you do really well along with the top five things you know and love about yourself.
2. Know That Confidence Already Lives Inside of You
Reflect on moments from early childhood. The times before you became self-aware and were told you couldn’t do something.
I reflect back to the days when I wanted to climb trees simply because the boys were doing it. Everyday I would climb higher and higher. When the boys told me I couldn’t do it, I climbed higher to make fun of them. But when my granny told me that was not lady-like, I began to question myself.
Remember: you already possess confidence. You just need to re-ignite the fire inside to allow it to show through.
3. Kick Fear and Take the Risk!
That’s right, kick fear in the face and just jump. Take the risk now. You will not know the outcome until you actually do it. Assuming is just another way for fear to take control.
Taking a risk involves not always feeling safe and that is okay.
4. Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
Embracing the unknown and accepting uncomfortable situations is a key to living confidently. It goes perfectly with #3.
You have to accept that you can not plan everything. You do not know the outcome of all situations and sometimes, you will be challenged and uncomfortable. This is all a part of life. So live!
You have to step out of the familiar predictability of your comfort zone.
If you focus on the endpoint and not the process, you become more welcoming of the discomfort.
5. Begin and End with a Smile
It’s one of the simplest things in life to do that offers a large return. Smiling tricks the brain in thinking you are happy. And guess what? When you smile, you instantly become happy. It releases endorphins and reduces stress.
Step out and live confidently NOW. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow, so live boldly today.