sherrillee

You want to be confident and feel confident, but what if you're starting with little or no confidence? How do you get from Point A to Point B? True self-confidence isn't an overnight acquisition. It takes dedication to realize you are a good human being that is worthy of respect and love.

Steps

1.Recognize your insecurities.
What does that voice in the back of your mind say? What makes you ashamed of yourself? Whatever is making you feel unworthy, ashamed, or inferior, identify it, give it a name, and write it down.

2.Talk about it with friends and loved ones.
Wear it on your sleeve. Each day you should chip away at it; wear it down. There's no quick fix. Get to the root of the problem; focus on it and understand that you need to resolve each issue before you can move on.

3.Remember that no one is perfect.
Even the most confident people have insecurities. At some point in any of our lives, we may feel we lack something. That is reality. Learn that life is full of bumps down the road.

4.Identify your successes.
Everyone is good at something, so discover the things at which you excel, then focus on your talents. Give yourself permission to take pride in them. Give yourself credit for your successes. Inferiority is a state of mind in which you've declared yourself a victim. Do not allow yourself to be victimized.

5.Be thankful for what you have.
A lot of the times, at the root of insecurity and lack of confidence is a feeling of not having enough of something, ie. emotional validation, good luck, money, etc. By acknowledging and appreciating what you do have, you can combat the feeling of being incomplete and unsatisfied. Finding that inner peace will do wonders for your confidence.

6. Be Positive, even if you don't feel positive.
Avoid self-pity, or the pity and sympathy of others. Never allow others to make you feel inferior--they can only do so if you let them. Instead, speak positively about yourself, about your future, and about your progress. Do not be afraid to project your strengths and qualities to others. By doing so, you reinforce those ideas in your mind and encourage your growth in a positive direction.

7.Look in the mirror and smile.
Studies surrounding what's called the "facial feedback theory" suggest that the expressions on your face can actually encourage your brain to register certain emotions. So by looking in the mirror and smiling every day, you might feel happier with yourself and more confident in the long run.

8.Fake it.
Along the same lines of smiling to make yourself feel happy, acting confident might actually make you believe it. Pretend you're a completely confident version of you; go through the motions and see how you feel.

9.Express yourself, whether it's through art, music, writing, etc. Find something you enjoy.
Everyone is born with talents and strengths. You can develop and excel in yours. When you're following your passion, not only will it have a therapeutic effect, but you'll feel unique and accomplished, all of which can help build your self confidence.

10.Stick to your principles.
It might be tough, but if you don't have something you can believe in, you don't have anything. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. No matter what's happened in your life, you can always lay claim to the fact that from this day forward, you've followed your principles to the best of your ability.

11.Help others.
When you know you're kind to the people around you, and are making a positive difference in other people's lives, you'll know that you are a positive force in the world--which will boost your self confidence. Confidence that you have earned is the most long-lasting.

12.Stop worrying.
What worries you today will be forgotten by you and people around you tomorrow. Can you remember what you were so worried about the same day the same time last week? If not, then you should not worry right now. You will not worry about it even one week from now.

Tips

When you're feeling superbly insecure, write down a list of things that are good about you. Then read the list back. You'd be surprised at what you can come up with.

Turn feelings of envy or jealousy into a desire to achieve. Stop wanting what others have just because they have it; seek things simply because you want them, whether anybody else has them or not.

Don't be afraid to push yourself a bit - a little bit of pressure can actually show just how good you are!

Try to make yourself talk positively at all times. When you hear yourself saying you can't do something, stop and say you can. Unless you try, you will never know whether you are able to or not.

Everyone is beautiful in their own way; don't let anyone tell you differently. Remember to tell yourself that you are beautiful every day; even if you don't believe it, one day you will.

Money, luck, beauty, and all other material things are just an illusion of happiness. It misleads us to believe we will feel excellent if we have these things or have fun, but in the long run, you will discover that while these things aren't necessarily horrible, they are only mere satisfactions.

Happiness is not all about being lucky, attractive, or the best, but rather feeling joyful in yourself, letting go of your insecurities, and having real fun..

Keep smiling all the time. It will help you feel more confident.

Say what comes to your mind; since your instinct thought of it, it's probably the right thing for you. Trusting your instinct will provide you with confidence to make the right decision at the right time.

Avoid perfectionism. Perfectionism paralyzes you and keeps you from accomplishing your goals.

If you have a suggestion for anything, then share it. You will feel good for contributing, helping someone, and having your voice heard.

It is important that you take a oath everyday morning that you will do wonders today. Never think negative about yourself

Self confidence is also about knowledge. Improve your knowledge on subjects which you feel interesting

Warnings

Don't get wrapped up in your mistakes and dwell on bad points; they can be a healthy contrast to your good points or even give you something to improve. There's no feeling like being good at something you were really bad at.

Don't confuse what you have with who you are. People degrade their self worth when comparing possessions.

Surround yourself with nurturing friends, not overly critical individuals who make you feel inadequate or insecure. This could do great harm and damage to your self confidence.

Lack of confidence is not necessarily a curse! So do not worry. Many ignorant, fanatic and maniac people are confident but is that desirable? No. Building self confidence should be associated with simultaneous growth from within. Thus by overcoming pettiness and superficiality you can build unshakable self confidence

Do not mistake being loud and cocky as confidence. Often this is just a way of somebody with lots of insecurities to cover it up, therefore not being confident at all. Confidence is being happy with yourself and not allowing what other people think of you to affect you, you should only care about what you think of yourself.

I've heard so many people here express their insecurities and lack of self confidence that i felt compelled to share some simple common sense advice from WIKI, that has helped me cope with my own iself confidence...

Have a wonderful day !