Confidence is a funny thing, isn’t it? You can have it in some areas, you can lack it in others, you can have it in bucketloads – or you might not have any at all.
I’d say I lie somewhere in the middle ground. There are some areas of my life and personality that I’m fairly confident about, and there are others that definitely need some work.
One of the most confident people I know – if not the most confident person I know – is my best friend Jen. Let me tell you, I feel so damn lucky to have a group of friends who have such amazing qualities and personalities – one of them being Jen and her confidence.
Even when we were in school and I’d be in knots about an exam or presentation, Jen could keep it cool and have an air of confidence that amazes me to this day. Without gushing (which I totally am), Jen could walk into a room full of strangers and make friends with them all within less than five minutes, while I’d be still trying to remember the first person’s name.
So when I got thinking about the secret to confidence over the weekend, Jen was the first person who came to mind to ask. Even better, she very kindly shared with me her five tips for confidence so I could use them in a blog post. (Isn’t she a gem?)
Without further ado – below are my fabulous friend Jen’s five tips for having more confidence as written by her. Get your pen and paper ready.
Try not to care what people think
It might sound cliché, but it’s true. If I’m doing something like karaoke in front of a whole bar, or doing a funny dance in a nightclub with my gals, I tell myself I’m most likely never going to see these people ever again so why would I care what they think? They’ll forget about it in 10 minutes!
Fake it ‘til you make it
I’m certainly not the most confident person in the world, and at times I’m probably one of the least confident people in the world! But I try not let that show, and play it off. If I pretend I’m a badass, I look like a badass, and I feel like a badass.
Remember it takes two to tango
Now, this is a weird one. It’s down to my confidence with friendships. I’ve lived by it for years, and what it basically means to me is that if there’s someone in your life who isn’t someone you see everyday, but you want to keep in contact with. If we haven’t spoken for a while and I start feeling guilty or second guessing our friendship since we haven’t been in contact as much as I’d like, I remember that ‘it takes two to tango’. This other person may not be making an effort also, so it’s not all on you. I know this one mightn’t make sense to everyone, but it’s helped me!
Dress to impress (yourself)
I rarely go out of the house without makeup, and that’s not necessarily due to the insecurities that I have, but mainly to feel good in myself. I wear makeup and tan to boost my self-confidence and feel fab, and if I think I look fab then I feel fab inside!
Listen to music that makes you BOP!
If I’m feeling upset and down, I don’t do the typical textbook things like watching sad movies like the Notebook or listening to Adele’s saddest breakup song. I listen to a playlist I’ve created called POWER on Spotify that contains any song that makes me have a little boogie on my seat on Dublin Bus! If it makes me feel good and powerful, then that’s what I listen to when I need a confidence boost, and it works every time!
Ultimate cheese-factor here but my heart feels so full reading those tips again. How amazing is my best friend?
Huge thank you to Jen for sharing these with me (and you!). Let me know your confidence tips in the comments below, I’d love to hear!
This is such a great blog post, I loved every single moment!
Danielle xx
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