LIKE WHOA! / RECHARGE YOUR SELF CONFIDENCE
THE ULTIMATE ANTIDOTE TO SELF-DOUBT IS RIGHT THERE IN THE MIRROR. RECHARGE YOUR SELF-ESTEEM WITH A REMINDER OF ALL YOU’VE ACCOMPLISHED AND HOW FAR YOU’VE COME, WHENEVER YOU NEED A BOOST.
I was recently on a text chain with a handful of girlfriends and we were joking about how fancy we’d all be getting for a very (underscore VERY) casual, low-key, rainy night dinner. In an effort not to show up in sweatpants, we found ourselves all one-upping each other over text, adding one fancy element at a time: ‘I decided to throw on a nice sweater’ said one. ‘Ok, I put on some lip gloss’ said another. ‘I’m doing eye-shadow and mascara’ said a third. One of my friends hilariously then said, “Whoa! Who is that in the mirror?” We all laughed and there were lots of emojis. We had a great night and, of course, none of us had very much make-up on or were especially fancy when we did show up. After a great time with friends, as I continued to reflect on that clever little quip, what struck me was that, while, yes, an artfully painted face can make me feel super confident, I should always be like “Whoa!” when I’m looking in the mirror.
Confidence comes not just with a great shade of make-up but when you recognize all the things that you’ve done in your past that you thought you couldn’t do. I’m not necessarily talking about what other people said you couldn’t do, but those things you honestly, earnestly thought you could never do… but you did do.
It’s seeing the true, strong and beautiful you that makes you say, “Whoa!”
When I look at myself through that lens and look back on all the successes and the battle scars of the past, the wins, the losses, and the growth that was hard fought, all of which has made me who I have become, I see a different person. Today, I’m starting a new business and preparing to run my very first 10K race, which is coming up way too fast. On both accounts, I’m excited and I’m challenged and I’m not exactly comfortable with the unknown but I’m genuinely like “Whoa! Who is that in the mirror?” She’s a badass and she’s got this. It’s an important reminder to celebrate ourselves and celebrate our wins and remember that they build upon each other and make us who we are. And when you look at you, I hope you can be like “Whoa!” and see it too.
Like, whoa!
Recharge your self-confidence
The beauty of your confidence is that it is grounded in a history that is all your own. Acknowledge your wins of the past and you will fuel those of the future.
Can you remember a time when you accomplished something you didn’t think possible? You got the un-gettable client or closed the ‘unrealistic’ deal? You ran or swam more miles than you ever thought you could.
Ask your friends and family to remind you if you’re drawing a blank. Maybe there are things that you do naturally that others could never dream of - that counts too. Did you travel the world solo or start your own business?
And if you really need reminding, put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror to let you know: Whoa.
Mine your life experiences so that the accomplishments that no else one can ever claim, the things that you fought hard to achieve and overcome, are right there in front of you.
They are your strength and they are your power.
