Own Your Awesome and Boost Your Confidence

Can you imagine being the coolest, most confident version of yourself? That person who always knows what to do, stands up for what they believe in, and pursues their dreams without fear of failure or criticism. What if I told you that person already exists within you, just waiting for permission to be unleashed? I'm here to give you that permission. With six simple steps, we will tap into your inner awesomeness and start living the life you were meant to live, unapologetically. So, are you ready to say goodbye to self-doubt and hello to a future filled with confidence and unlimited possibilities?

Here are the 6-steps to get you started.

(1) Your Negative Thoughts

While I hesitate to say everyone, let's agree that almost everyone has negative thoughts invading their mind and impacting how they feel about themselves. Why do we do that? Would you ever speak that way to a friend? Probably not. Identifying the root cause of your negative self-talk is necessary to understand and correct the pattern. Let's break it down into a few steps:

• ?First, let's develop the habit of stopping ourselves each time we have a negative thought. Once we build that habit, we can start to understand where the inner critic came from.
• Journaling is helpful in exploring the origins of your inner critic. Was it a past experience, a perceived failure, or low self-worth? Spending time here, either through journaling or meditation, can help you uncover where that inner voice first appeared and decided to take up space in your mind without paying rent.
• Ask yourself if there is any real evidence to support the negative thought. This will help you realize that it's likely due to perceived fear or insecurities.
• Challenge: Speak to yourself as you would to a friend, with kindness and respect

Now that we've started building that mental muscle, stop and reframe it the next time you recognize your negative self-talk. Turn it into a positive statement. Speak your positive statement or affirmation out loud or write it down. Though this may feel strange at first, over time, the positive self-talk will help change the way you think about and view yourself.

(2) The Critic Living Inside You

Now, let’s address the negative critic living inside you. Let's celebrate you and your successes. Take out your journal or a piece of paper and, without thinking too much about it, write down all of your successes, whether personal or professional, no matter how big or small. It's a brain dump. Go back as far as you'd like. Perhaps you had the most successful paper route among your friends (What?? What's a paper route? Pause and ask your parents). This is when you'll start seeing your greatness. You may have forgotten about all of your accomplishments. You graduated high school—yes, that's an accomplishment! Or maybe you hired someone who saved the company millions of dollars—kudos to you for your inner wisdom in recognizing greatness in another person. This exercise is often fun and will help you unlock successes you've forgotten about, tapping into all of your triumphs. Now tell me, how did you feel after doing this exercise? I'm sure once you started writing, the floodgates of your successes started pouring in. Give yourself a pat on the back.

(3) Surround Yourself with Positive People

As we continue to build your confidence, I now want you to surround yourself with positive people and only positive people. It's time to get rid of those who no longer serve you, uplift you, or support you. You know the ones I'm talking about—the people who question you, make you feel small, and criticize what you do. They no longer have a place in your life. Time to say "bye-bye." They feed into your inner critic and don't bring you any value. Spending time with positive people will have a big impact on your mood and outlook on life. Make an effort to surround yourself with only those who support and believe in you. These people will help you see the best in yourself and help you reach your full potential.

(4) Your Physical and Mental Health

Another aspect of building your confidence is taking care of your physical and mental health. When you're healthy, you have more energy and feel better about yourself. Similar to a runner's "high".? ?You can experience the same feeling when you take care of yourself physically. Consider this scenario: It's 5 p.m., you're leaving work and heading to the gym. You think to yourself, "Ugh, I would rather get home and relax on the couch." But, you make the effort and get yourself to the gym. After the workout, as you head home, you have another thought: "Gosh, I feel great and so glad I went." Can you relate? That's the high. It's your body releasing chemicals called endorphins and dopamine, which make you feel good, happy, relaxed, and energized. Who wouldn't want that natural feeling without the need for pharmaceuticals? The same goes for mental health. This can be as simple as a 5-10 minute mindfulness or meditation practice. Yes, taking care of your mental health can be achieved with just 5-10 minutes a day. Let me dive into this a little more and set the foundation for you. I've often heard that the hardest thing about beginning a mindfulness/meditation practice is starting. Don't overthink it. This is what often stops people from having a practice altogether.? At its core, mindfulness is about being mindful; being mindful of your thoughts, (not the negative ones we talked about earlier), actions, feelings, and energy. You want to focus on being in the present moment. How, you ask? Just start by sitting in stillness and observing your thoughts and body sensations for 5 minutes without judgment or criticism. When you're ready, you can increase to 10 minutes. Tapping into a mindfulness/meditation practice is key to maintaining good mental health. To add to this, you could spend a few minutes journaling after the mindfulness practice. Brain dump everything that comes to mind. Disregard spelling, typos, sentence structure, and just write. Remember to be patient with yourself; mindfulness is a skill that develops over time.

Other things to remember about physical and mental health include maintaining a healthy diet - limiting your sugar, processed foods, and yes, your adult beverages as well as getting enough sleep. By incorporating exercise, meditation, a healthy diet, and enough sleep, you will manage your stress level and feel much better about yourself and your daily energy level.

How's your confidence feeling so far? Ready for more?

(5) Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone

It’s time to talk about stepping outside of your comfort zone. This may be the hardest one to tackle, but it’s exactly the best way to build your confidence - by stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing the unknown. This could mean trying something new, taking on a challenge, a new hobby, or even speaking up for yourself. When you step outside of your comfort zone, you'll learn new things about yourself and realize that you're capable of more than you thought. Besides the feeling of perhaps being uncomfortable, there are some wonderful benefits, mainly that through uncertainty and discomfort comes personal growth, resilience, and determination, which will organically boost your self-confidence and unlock new opportunities. Why not give it a try? You might surprise yourself by enjoying something you never thought you would or discovering a hidden talent you never knew you had!

(6) Set Realistic Goals

As we round out our awesomeness, it's time to step into your confidence and set some realistic goals. Look for goals that are outside of your comfort zone. It doesn't need to be anything big. I recommend starting small and with something realistic that is achievable. As you reach your goals, it's important to celebrate your success, no matter how small it may seem. This will help you continuously build your confidence and momentum.

In Summary

It's now time for you to embrace your inner confidence and unleash your potential. By silencing negative self-talk, celebrating triumphs, and surrounding yourself with positivity, you lay the foundation for unshakeable self-assurance. Prioritize physical and mental well-being through exercise, meditation, and mindful choices. Step outside your comfort zone and set achievable goals to foster resilience and unlock hidden abilities. As you embark on this journey, remember that true confidence is a gradual pursuit that requires patience and self-love. Each step you take brings you closer to living a life filled with purpose, fulfillment, and unwavering belief in yourself.? Remember, building confidence takes time and effort. Don't get discouraged; just keep at it, and you will eventually see a difference.