Confidence!

It's common to feel like some people are simply born confident and that you weren't. This, however, is NOT true! Everybody feels insecure at times, and it just depends on whether you dare to step outside your comfort zone or stay inside. Don't compare your flaws to someone else's strengths- that's just silly!

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FEELING SHY

Everybody has felt self-conscious or shy at some point. When in a new situation you go into yourself because you are nervous about what other people think of you. This can actually backfire though. To the other person, it can come across as if you're moody. One phrase to remember is People aren't thinking about you they're thinking about themselves.

Being shy is a choice that, surprisingly, you have control over. You can choose to be an introverted person or not!

Try smiling.

Smiling not only helps YOU feel better (scientific fact), but it also makes you seem more open and approachable- even when you don't feel that way at all! It's so simple, and if people do wonder why you're smiling at a brick wall, it's better than them thinking you're not into making friends.

Have an alter ego.

When feeling shy you can end up overthinking things, which always turns into a spiral of negative thoughts. One way to combat this is to imagine you're a new character. Become the best version of yourself, like when you've started New Year's resolutions and you imagine that you're a "new" you. Every time you feel yourself holding back, ask yourself: "What would new me do?" and then act upon that. Your alter ego doesn't have to be you though; it could be a celebrity or a completely made-up person! There are also a lot of famous people that use this technique- even the queen of confidence, Beyoncé, who becomes Sasha Fierce on stage.

Repeated exposure.

Everything is easier the more times you attempt it. If you never face your fears, you'll never overcome them. This can be difficult, but if you force yourself to do the small things, like smiling at a stranger, this can actually make you more confident to do the big things. Here's a challenge: every day for a week do one thing that you'd normally feel self-conscious doing. Start small and work your way up.

BIG EGO.

There are two types of people with small egos: the ones who are shy and don't stand up for themselves, and the ones who talk down to others and act as if they're the best. You may be thinking, hang on, isn't the second one someone WITH a big ego? Well, deep down, they're not as self-assured as you think they are. They're good at masking their insecurities and taking it out on others.

THE DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF EGO IS AS FOLLOWS: A person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance.

Some people think having a big ego is a bad thing, but it's actually a good thing!

It doesn't mean you don't care about others. Instead, it means that you stand up for yourself, you're strong and determined, you know what you want from life and you're confident in your body and with your personality. If you want to reach your full potential, you have to be full of yourself and have high self-esteem. Who only wants to be half as great as they can be? To truly love yourself, you have to believe you're important. You're not better than others, but you're still special because everybody's special. So how can you get a big ego? By supporting yourself. Every time you look in the mirror tell yourself a positive affirmation like, "I'm strong, beautiful and confident". Stick with this for a month and see how you feel at the end. You may feel a bit stupid at first, but the more you say it, the more you'll believe it.

BE AUTHENTICALLY YOURSELF.

Throughout time people's opinions on what is supposedly "perfect" has changed. Trends come and go, so don't get too caught up on changing yourself depending on what's currently hot. One of the best qualities a person can have is originality. Nobody's "normal" and everyone's unique, so we need to start celebrating our differences, as they are what makes us, us. At the end of the day, don't let the small things get to you. There will be times when you feel like you're on top of the world. There also will be times when you just want to crawl under the covers and hide there. Forever. One bad day does not mean that every day will be like that. There's always something to be grateful for, and right now you have something in your life that you take for granted but another person would die for. Confidence comes from you loving and accepting yourself, even your flaws- not from how many likes your Instagram pictures get. 💖

You can also learn to get outside of your comfort zone