day 17: confidence is key

hi there! over the past 48 hours, i've realized a lot about myself. i've realized that i love to be around people who care. i've realized that i'm a bit forgetful. i've also realized that there many, many things that can impact one's confidence.

one thing that can boost someone's confidence is playing sports, specifically competitive sports. as i've said in day 7, when you play competitive sports, you learn to be confident in yourself as you grow and become a better athlete.

i was at my brother's friend's birthday party yesterday, and she has an older brother who is my age. my mom pointed out that when he talked to us you could immediately tell that he was nervous and just not confident in himself. she said that sports really help people build confidence and you can tell that athletes carry themselves differently. i'm not trying to bash him, which is why i won't be saying his name, but i'm trying to give a real life example. 

if you know me, you probably know that i'm a pretty confident person. i'm very colorful and not too focused on what others' opinions are on my actions or what i wear. though, for an unknown reason, i've been feeling less confident and more shy lately. maybe it's because my acne is flaring up because of my sugar intake on the cruise last weekend, or maybe its because of stress. whatever it is, the point i'm trying to make here is that your confidence can be affected by so many different factors. if i were to list them all, you wouldn't be here until the end. 

you might be wondering, "maia, how can i become more confident?" well, i can't give you an exact step-by-step because it is different for everyone. what i can tell you though is that being confident is really a mindset. when you change your mindset from "can i?" to "i can.", a whole new world opens up for you. being confident in yourself and what you can do, empowers you in ways that are unimaginable.

you feel as though you can do anything, which you can, and feel as though nobody can push you down. achievements help you feel more confident in yourself because you are on this high because you are so proud and content with yourself. when this happens, you should ride this high and do other things that will make you feel good. over time, you'll build up the confidence and courage to do other things you never thought you would be able to.

fancy nancy

a fantastic example of a confident person is fancy nancy. yes, i know that she's only a fictional character (don't tell her that) and she's also in elementary school, but fancy nancy is probably the reason i'm usually so confident. fancy nancy doesn't care about others' opinions and she wears her confidence to the max. she wears these flamboyant, outrageous outfits that you really can only pull off with confidence. when i was younger, i would always borrow her books from the library and LOVED to read them. by finding a confident person to look up to, it might also inspire you to be more confident.

one last example i have is my little brother, han. han is at the ripe age of 6, and always sees himself as equal to everyone. he confidently walks up to kids at the playground and asks to play, or walks around the taekwondo tournament, talking to all of the coaches and athletes. because of him, i became more confident. i saw this little, tiny boy walk around, carrying himself as if he owned every place he walked into, and it inspires me more and more each day.

after all, confidence is key, so you should carry yourself with pride. like this quote i found on pinterest, "when you are confident, people become confident in you." being confident in yourself will open up new doors for you that you never knew existed. 

did you catch how many times the word "confident" or a version of it was used? if you said 26, you are correct! thank you for reading and i'll catch you on the next one!!

don't wish for it, work for it.