It’s beautiful how our stories are not just meant to end with us but to most importantly, impact other people’s lives, shed light on their paths, make them become better people, and most importantly, give them the courage and confidence to write their stories and boldly face whatever challenge they also may encounter along the way.
We recently had some of our girls moderate our weekly radio show at work to celebrate the international day of the girl-child event. One thing that stood out for me was the confidence with which the girls took on the role and presented, giving it their best.
It took me down memory lane when I was their age but I was struggling with low self-confidence. You will never see me take on opportunities, raise my hands in class, face a crowd, etc. I never believed that I was intelligent, smart, and beautiful and that I had what it takes to try new things and succeed at them.
Looking back now at my story and that of the girls who took part in that presentation, I have discovered that confidence can be learned and it is a skill that is needed if you must succeed as a girl and break the gender bias. I have also been able to through my story impact the lives of other young people around me especially girls.
What is confidence?
Confidence is being aware of your abilities and feeling secure in them. It is not about being perfect, but rather it is about having a positive outlook and trusting yourself
When you lack self-confidence as a girl, it can lead to several negative consequences.
- You may be less likely to take risks or pursue new opportunities, both in your personal and professional lives.
- You may find it more difficult to build and maintain healthy relationships.
- It can lead to anxiety and depression.
- You are more likely to engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse.
- It can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression.
- You may also have difficulty setting and achieving goals because you lack faith in their ability to succeed. Poor self-confidence can also lead to social isolation, as individuals may be hesitant to interact with others out of fear of rejection.
Ultimately, poor self-confidence can harm all areas of your life.
The root cause of low confidence
There are several root causes of low confidence.
- Lack of self-awareness. Girls who are not aware of their strengths and weaknesses are more likely to underestimate themselves.
- Lack of self-acceptance. Girls who do not accept themselves for who they are, are more likely to have low self-esteem.
- Lack of self-belief. Girls who do not believe in their abilities are more likely to doubt themselves.
Ways to develop confidence
There are a few ways that you can develop confidence.
- One way is to set small goals for yourself and then accomplish them. This will help you to see that you are capable of achieving things, which will boost your confidence.
- Spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself. These people will help you to see the positive aspects of yourself and will make you feel more confident.
- Celebrate every win no matter how small it is.
- Do things that make you feel confident.
- Pay attention to your self-talk, or the things you say to yourself in your head. If you’re constantly putting yourself down or telling yourself you can’t do something, that’s going to impact your confidence.
If I could, I believe you can too. The moment I started to change my perception of myself, I began to achieve much more. I have been able to take on some leading roles, roles I would never have dreamt about in a long time. I will end with this quote by Marie Curie who said, “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
#selfconfidence #selfworth #selfesteem #beconfident
Damilola Oluwadahun
Image Credit- Freepik
