The feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something.
Look up the definition of confidence and this is what you will see. You can have confidence in someone else or in yourself. You can be confident that something is going to work out the way that you want it to, or not.
Confidence in myself is something I have struggled with for a long time. I did not have a great time at secondary school due to bullying and feeling like an outsider. My confidence took a big hit and I really didn’t enjoy the rest of my time at school.
It wasn’t until I started university that I started to realise I actually had some qualities and skills which were desirable. Also getting my first serious relationship made a big difference!
Confidence shouldn’t be dependent on physical appearance but sometimes your outer appearance can make a huge difference to how you feel inside. I suffered badly with acne as a teenager, so that really didn’t help my situation at school. After various treatments and medications from the doctor, I did manage to get that under control. It cleared up a lot by the time I went to university, so by having clearer skin, that immediately made me feel more confident in my skin.
University also introduced me to a lot more people, from a lot more different backgrounds and I found myself becoming more confident in talking to new people and making new friends. I still find it a little intimidating when I meet new people now, but I generally can find something to start a conversation and not feel awkward anymore.
Another thing I really struggled with after university was my weight, partly due to my new-found love for beer. When I started at university I was a size 8/10 in ladies clothing. By the time I graduated, I was pushing a size 18. So you can see how much of an effect the university lifestyle had on my physical appearance. Thankfully, this did not affect me finding a new boyfriend. He,(my now husband) saw past my weight and fell for the person I was inside. I feel very lucky that I found someone who isn’t bothered by physical appearance so much. He obviously saw something in me which he found attractive and that boosted my confidence so much.
I have talked about my body issues and how my mental health was affected by weight issues after losing Theo. That whole experience was another huge knock to my confidence in my own body, but through my new found love of fitness and healthy eating, I am now super confident in my own body.
Finding the right products for my skin recently has helped me a lot to. I’m so glad that I decided to take the plunge and invest in my makeup venture, as it’s introduced me to some amazing new products which are so well suited to my skin. So I am getting so many benefits from this, physically, mentally and financially. I have also made some lovely new friends who have shown me what having your own business can do for your confidence.
Ultimately, it may have taken nearly 35 years, but I finally feel like I have confidence in myself. Physically I feel fit, healthy and attractive. Mentally I know I am able to take control and create new and exciting opportunities for myself. Emotionally, having the confidence to say that yes I can do anything, this has made my whole life more stable. Then financially, my current job situation is more stable and I know I have the scope to improve on this as well. Overall I am a much more confident person now and if I can help others to feel more confident, in any way, then that is a huge plus in my eyes.