Let’s Talk: Confidence
Confidence
Bit of a wordy one today! Rather than a post full of pictures, I thought I’d get a little bit personal (and a little bit more serious!) and talk confidence; from my journey to gaining self-confidence to tips that I’d love you to take away after reading.
As a child I wasn’t what you’d call particularly confident. I’d plead for my little brother to ask a question to a stranger for me, and would spend far too long trying to articulate when talking to somebody new – I definitely had a habit of drifting off into Carrie-land. I suppose both of these things are traits I’ve carried forward to some degree, but I’ve come on leaps and bounds in other ways.
Whilst I still don’t really like calling people on the phone or public speaking, to be here writing this blog, taking pictures of my outfits for the world to see and doing so in public spaces definitely takes some guts. If you open up your mind/heart/creativity on the internet and consider yourself to be a shy person, then give yourself a big ol’ pat on the back, because it’s the best step I ever took towards gaining self-confidence…
Just Say Yes
Since moving to London, I can’t believe the opportunities that I’ve been blessed with. I remember being 19, at my first fashion week and sipping a cocktail alone in a corner at a Charles Anastase show that I’d somehow managed to wangle my way into.
I watched the room, and didn’t talk to a single soul for the entire time I was there, but swallowing any insecurities and pushing myself into an unfamiliar situation without looking back was worth the reward; this 19 year old from the countryside was pinching herself.
Whilst standing alone at an event isn’t a particularly positive experience for most, this gave me a kick up the bum to start chatting to other bloggers at events that followed – I didn’t want to have to sip cocktails (that I only ever picked up out of politeness!) on my own again.
And it all worked. Having a positive mental attitude and just saying yes when opportunities big or small come your way instead of worrying that you’ll look stupid or things won’t work out has been my biggest game-changer.
Think positive, stand tall and say yes. Cheesy as hell, but it works. Oh, and I’ll throw in a practise makes perfect here, too, whilst I’m at it. It’s all true, I promise!
Self-Image
Most of us have things we’d change about our body, and often these are big contributors to a lack of confidence. In secondary school I’d remedy this by having a mirror and brush in my pocket at all times – I couldn’t stand for a hair to be out of place. It was that obvious that it was even parodied by my tutor on our last day of school! Cheers…
Whilst you won’t catch me posting here without my make-up on in the very near future, popping out without a face full of slap is no longer an issue as I’ve learned that people are far more worried about what’s going on in their own lives than what you’ve got on your face! I think this is something that comes with growing up.
Of course, there are things that you want to change about your appearance for yourself, and there is nothing wrong with that. I’d always had hang-ups with my wonky teeth – they were one of the things I disliked most about my face – and knowing I could’ve had them fixed as a teenager (but was far too vain for metal train tracks) didn’t make it any easier.
Last April I took the plunge and got Invisalign braces, and it was one of the best decisions I could have made. Not only are they hardly noticeable to the untrained eye, they are giving me a fresh new smile. And if a big grin isn’t the symbol of a confident individual, then I don’t know what is!
I’ve still got just under a year until I’ll be finished up and able to show you the final result, but for now they’ve shifted my teeth enough that I’m finally excited to start filming and starting up a YouTube channel – another one of those just do it decisions that I talk about above!
If you’d like to read more about my Invisalign journey (and how I’m learning to smile!) then click through here and take a look.
To-do
Working on yourself isn’t something that can happen overnight – just because I’m used to taking photos in public places, it doesn’t mean I don’t find the idea of filming myself chatting to a camera TERRIFYING. But like I said, it’s about swallowing those insecurities – usually the reward far outweighs the risk!
Some things on my self-confidence to-do list are:
Finish up my Invisalign and smile at anyone and everyone
Practise talking to a camera and upload a video
Say yes to any public speaking opportunities – I can only get better!
I can trust you lot to make sure I tick them off!
What changes (big or small) are you looking to achieve before the year is out? Let’s help each other out! x
I have been given a discount on my treatment by Align Technology, creators of Invisalign, in exchange for writing the above, however the views expressed here are my views only and not those of Align
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