Following on from my last blog, I wanted to talk about bit on the idea that confidence isn’t about big spontaneous actions. Sometimes it’s about recognising what feels right for you and putting your energy into it so that you can develop certain aspects of your life that already make you feel grounded and capable.
If you ever find yourself questioning whether you’re settling or actually being proactive and confident, here are a few questions you can ask yourself:
- Does this make me feel genuinely empowered or drained?
- Does it uplift others or take away from them?
- Do I feel calm and content when I’m doing it?
- Could I be spending my energy on something that aligns more with my values?
- Am I staying true to myself, or am I forcing something that doesn’t feel natural?
As I have mentioned before, confidence doesn’t always have to be loud or visible. Be careful to not compare yourself to people who seem outwardly or extremely confident – that’s not the only kind of confidence that matters. You can be confident in your own way, by simply owning who you are and how you act.
If what you’re doing helps you grow into the person you want to be, the person that makes you feel secure, grounded, capable and empowered, and the person you believe others would find support or inspiration in – then you’re on the right track.
This week I realised that being vulnerable and honest was my confidence. It’s easy to assume that being confident means having everything together and always knowing the right answer but that isn’t always true. Sometimes it’s about being real enough to say, “I don’t know”, “I’m struggling” or “This isn’t for me.”
Vulnerability gives you space to breathe. It offers you grace when you need it most and it allows others to see through the illusion of a ‘perfect’ life or person. When you show that kind of honesty, it empowers others to believe that confidence (real, grounded confidence) is something that they can have too.
