How does one define self confidence? To me, self confidence is having the belief in yourself in the acts which you are completing. It is believing you can achieve and that you, as a person, are amazing; that you are the best version of you that you possibly could be. Trusting you have the ability to do something can be overwhelming, and you may find you need reassurance to restore your self confidence.
My self confidence was completely shattered when I was younger; I was a bully victim, bullied by people whom I never expected to turn against me. It was completely unprovoked and very quickly, it spiralled out of control. The bullying was tiring, destructive and left me in pieces. If you were to pick up a mirror and stand and watch it smash, this is an exact description of what happened to my self confidence. My happiness and confidence went from 100 to 0 in the blink of an eye. Just when I thought things were improving, bang, things changed for the worst, round two. This time, the bullying was more intense and it completely destroyed me. My self confidence hadn’t really increased since the last time, so it decreased even further.
It has been about three years still the bullying began to sizzle out. Within those three years, I have done nothing but work on me, by me, for me. I have prioritised me to help build myself up, slowly but surely putting those shattered pieces back together, much like a jigsaw. I had went from being bubbly to a quiet little mouse. I had a lack of self confidence, and I can tell you something - building up confidence is one of the trickiest challenges I have ever had to overcome.
I’d say I’m the most confident in myself at this present day than I ever have been. Some days though, it’s easy to feel your self confidence levels drop. One negative thought and your mind is away. You begin questioning your abilities, and it really affects your mood. I was not one for being recognised at school, so when my lecturers praise my work, I find it hard to understand why. I almost feel as if I shrug off compliments in general; I don't tend to accept them, it’s odd. It’s also silly because I don’t think I realise how much I’ve grown, and how incredible my life is.
Since working ever so hard on myself, I have opened so many doors, which have led me onto the most fantastic opportunities ever; some which I never expected to have been presented with. Any time I feel my confidence levels sink, I sit and remind myself of these opportunities. Would I have been granted these chances if I didn’t deserve them? No. I have received them because I work hard for myself. I am a hard worker who is ambitious and determined. That is who I am, and I need to remember that hard work pays off.
I think the main way to build your self confidence is by believing you can. Turn can’t into can. If you believe, then you can achieve. One thing which affected my self confidence was happiness, which stemmed from negativity. I have associated myself with a new friendship group who have definitely done wonders for my self confidence. Any time I achieve something, they always applaud me, and make me feel amazing. That’s the sort of support you need in life. But, do you know who gives the best support? Yourself.
Self believe, support and happiness all go hand in hand in contributing towards self confidence. And guess what? Believing you are a fantastic human will boost your self esteem. Sometimes I forget how truly amazing my life is until I take a step back and think. Then I remember, I deserve everything amazing because I’m good enough. That’s when I begin to feel giddy and feel my self confidence level rocket. You are your own ray of sunshine.
