By: KAMBRIA PRADO
Staff Writer
When did we start treating self-confidence as something that is just “nice” to have? Nowadays we see confidence as a rarity, but it is more like a necessity. Many people don’t realize how lacking self-confidence is holding a grip on their life. Contrary to popular belief, confidence is not something that you either have or you don’t; you can achieve it anytime in life. Although achieving self-confidence is not something you can do overnight. It takes work. This is why a lot of people choose to neglect their confidence needs instead of putting in the work. The road to achieving self-confidence will always be worth it, and here is why.
I am a firm believer that what you think of yourself is what you are. For example, if you think that you are an antisocial person, you will be an antisocial person, or if you think you are a bad public speaker you will be a bad public speaker. I see this problem in a lot of people today. Negative self-talk is something that is so normalized in today’s world. You may see it as something that is harmless, but by talking bad about yourself you are speaking your fears and insecurities into existence and harming your confidence. This can be fixed by focusing on the good about situations and yourself. Saying positive affirmations, or even just writing them down, can easily direct your mindset to the right place. You cannot let your mind be your biggest obstacle on the road to confidence. It all starts with the mind. Make sure you are feeding it the right information by always speaking and believing highly of yourself.
Once you start believing in yourself and having confidence, you will see all areas of your life start to thrive. I am sure you have heard the saying that you can truly love anyone else until you love yourself, and this saying is nothing but the truth. When you have low self-confidence, it is almost impossible to stop comparing yourself to others. This can easily lead to jealousy. Jealousy causes much conflict in romantic relationships and even in friendships too. If you are a jealous person, it is hard to form genuine relations with others because they can cause you to feel inferior if they are having more success than you. If you have confidence in yourself, you are able to congratulate others on their success because you have trust in yourself to also complete the goals you have set. Therefore having confidence is crucial in building relations and achieving it can allow for your relationships in life to grow stronger.
Also while pursuing any future goal in life, you will need confidence. Nobody wants someone that is unsure of themselves running, or even just working for their company. People want to hire those that have full trust in themselves to get the job done. Confidence is needed to accomplish any goals; whether they be career, academic, or athletic-orientated.
Self-confidence is responsible for paving the way for individuals’ overall success and happiness in life. Although it is not an easy thing to achieve. I know the path is hard, as I am still on it myself. Spending your whole life working towards self-confidence will always be better than giving up on yourself and your potential. Always remember to prioritize yourself and your mind. You deserve to live your life freely while truly embracing who you are. Everyone deserves to live a life that they are proud of. You will never regret taking the time to learn and love yourself, but you will regret holding yourself back from experiencing life.