“A million likes will never be enough if you don’t like yourself.”

Do you want to be more successful? Do you want to get more out of life? Do you want to have less stress or less anxiety? Do you want to feel more happy and self-assured? Likely your answer was yes to one if not all of those… because let’s be real, who doesn’t want MORE out of life?

Well, the secret to all of these things isn’t more money or more followers on Instagram, but learning to be more confident and self-assured in your abilities. You already have what it takes, all you need is to know it for yourself. In my opinion, there is truly nothing more beautiful and sexy than a woman who is confident. She knows exactly who she is and never accepts anything less than what she deserves. In the world of social media and stress over validation within our like-driven society, there is more pressure than ever to lead a picture perfect life. 

We see people on social media having “perfect” relationships, “perfect” vacations, “perfect” jobs, and doing a million other activities that all seem enviable and makes you question your own life and accomplishments. But in reality, none of us live a perfect life, it’s just social media that presents everyone’s highlight reels.

Rarely do people ever post about their failures or inadequacies, so it can sometimes feel daunting to be confident in the midst of all the seeming perfection. However, the moment you decide that you are happy and the validation of others doesn’t matter as much is the moment you will become a more confident woman. It takes work to exude and inhabit confidence, and I know what it feels like to have bad days. I mean, let’s be real — we don’t all feel like superwoman every. single. day.

You can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.

This means being confident in your voice and knowing how to be assertive (when necessary). Have you ever seen someone who is super quiet, slouchy, and awkward and thought of them as a confident person? No — that’s because truly confident people know how to ask for what they want, use eye contact, and stand up straight. You have the power to be more confident simply just by controlling the way your body moves and by the way you present yourself to others. Be deliberate and purposeful with your movements not only so that others know to take you seriously, but also because it sends reinforcing and positive signals to your brain.

Learning to be more confident also means pushing past any and all vulnerabilities, fears, and insecurities. Every single one of us face these concerns, but truly confident people know that doubt is all mental and never based in reality. Once you conquer your fears, you will begin to see yourself as someone who is strong, confident, and certain about her abilities. Self-limiting beliefs will get you absolutely nowhere — if you learn to push past these, over time your self-image will improve. Since we tend to behave based on our self-image, how you view yourself is super important.

Being confident doesn’t mean you won’t come across failure.

However, when failure does arise, confident people know how to stand back up, brush it off, and try again. Even if it didn’t work the first time, you have to know and believe that you have all the abilities and the tools to succeed. Becoming a more confident person isn’t an overnight process, but requires repeated intentional steps to believe in yourself and accept who you are. No matter what, know that your potential is unlimited.

Love yourself - it’s the best love you will ever have.

Join Sparkle Unleashed or more tips, guidance and support at SparkleUnleashedCommunity.com. Or connect with Jennifer Stroman on Facebook!