It is not what you are that is holding you back, it is what you think you are not”.

Over time I have come to learn that self-esteem or self-confidence issues have a huge impact on our whole being and life. It is the enemy within that keeps chasing us no matter where we go and has a way to creep up during the worst of times. It is that little voice inside our heads that we can’t seem to quiet down and get rid of.  The year is coming to an end (surreal how time flies),  and it is a perfect time to take inventory of your year and go on an inner awareness journey. How was your year? What do you want to see different in 2019? How has your self-esteem impacted your growth this year? But here is the thing, you don’t have to wait till January 1, 2019, to work on boosting your confidence (or for any resolution for that matter).  I chose to focus on confidence because it controls more than you realize.  Your confidence can be a result of your mindset and vice versa and literally controls every aspect of your life.  Instead of feeling bad about yourself, about something like your weight or a body feature that you aren’t in love with, try letting that ego go, and embracing your full self. Years ago, I used to hang out with a girlfriend of mine who every guy we knew fancied.  I couldn’t fully understand why since she wasn’t particularly attractive. One night I asked one of our guy friends what that’s all about. His reply: “What do you mean?  her confidence is so darn sexy, it’s what men go crazy over”.   That message really stuck with me and gave me a much deeper understanding of attraction.

Remember, beauty comes from within.  The kind of person you are, your personality and your mindset is what matters most.  Confidence is your best accessory!

So, how do you embrace the person that you are and do so with your whole heart?   

  1. Make a choice to love yourself.  You can do this through affirmations.  Take a few minutes out of your day for the next 30 days and read and say affirmations to yourself.  Place affirmations throughout your home or workplace, in your car or even on your phone as a screensaver.  Constant reminders to yourself that you are special, you are beautiful, you are smart, etc. If you want ideas of affirmations feel free to download my 100 FREE affirmations.
  2. Clean up and clean out:  If there are negative people in your life, try as hard as you can to keep your communication with them to a minimum.  One thing that is NOT a confidence booster is someone that is constantly nagging, complaining or always seeing the “worst case scenario.”  Having these types of people in your life can ultimately bring you down and have a negative sapping impact on you. One thing I do to figure out how people impact me is check how I felt before I met or spoke to them and then check how I feel after our little chat or meetup. If my energy dropped and I feel crappy it’s usually a good indication that I need to make changes.
  3. Get out of your Comfort Zone: Change up your hair, your clothes, revamp your style.  Why?  Not because it’s “all about looks,” because that’s not true at all, but because you will feel good!  When you feel good, your confidence will boost naturally.  While getting in shape, or losing weight would do the same thing, it’s best to not depend solely on those things.  Yes, getting in shape can be a long-term goal, but don’t let your confidence totally rely on that.  Start with smaller things that you can contribute to changing more immediately.  What you will likely experience is a boost in confidence, followed by the law of attraction and even more success in long-term goals.

Practicing all three of the “how’s” to boosting your confidence provides you with a promising roadmap to help train yourself to be more confident.  Soon enough the confidence will spread to those around you and become second nature.

Let your brightest self-SHINE in 2019 (and beyond!).