Be confident and show it

Greetings:

I am continuing to celebrate Self Esteem month. This week I want to share with you the art of being confident and showing it. I grew up being told not to blow my own horn and not show off! Actually being confident isn't showing off. Couldn't be further from it. When you are confident you don't have to show off, you simply show up and be your best self.

A great book to read this month to help you with your self confidence is "Brag - The art of tooting your own horn without blowing it." by Peggy Klaus. It is a great book that will help you build your self confidence without feeling self conscious about it. Christen and I interviewed Peggy on our radio show Live the Day. Peggy shared tips and techniques for how to be a better bragger. If you would like to hear the show visit Live the Day Radio and click on "listen to Peggy's show."

Here is an article I wrote several years ago about self confidence and why it is so important to your self esteem.

Be Confident And Show It

When I was younger, I was told not to brag, toot my own horn, or show off. Many times, what I was doing was not showing off, I was showing confidence. Since many people are uncomfortable with others being confident, they confuse showing confidence with showing off.

Showing confidence is about being self-assured and proud of your accomplishments and yourself. Confidence builds your self-esteem and allows you to be your best. When you are confident, you actually are more open and secure and more supportive of others. When you are confident, you are not threatened by someone else's success because you know that it does not diminish your own.

There have been times when I wasn't showing confidence and indeed I was showing off. My experience of showing off is that it usually backfires. I actually became less confident. I was so busy trying to prove myself that I actually looked worse, not better. When you have to prove yourself and show off, there is usually a price to pay. Showing off is a demonstration of lack of confidence. You simply are trying too hard. When you are confident, you don't have to try to impress others.

Someone who lacks confidence is usually boastful and arrogant. They can come across as being a bully and have little regard for others. A person who lacks confidence also feels the need to put others down so they can feel better about themselves. The problem with this is it is a short-term fix and the person who lacks confidence will soon have to find another victim in order to make them feel good about themselves again. This is a never-ending cycle for the person who lacks confidence.

For the confident and self-assured person, they do not have to prove anything. Since they feel good about themselves and are confident in their own abilities, they don't need to put others down or act superior. In fact, that type of behavior would not even occur to someone who is confident. They understand that by building others up everyone does better.


When you have to show off it usually means you are feeling insecure and lack confidence. When you have high self-esteem, your confidence level soars and you no longer have to prove anything to anyone. You are good at what you do, you know it and it shows. We don't have to try to convince anyone of how good you are. It simply comes across in your actions and demeanor.


Quotes

"Confidence comes from hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." Roger Staubach

"If you have no confidence in self you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence you have won even before you have started." Marcus Garvey

"It is courage based on confidence, not daring, and it is confidence based on experience." Jonas Salk

"People die of fright and live of confidence." Henry David Thoreau


Celebrate Self Esteem month by building your confidence.

Here's to taking action,

Rachelle