Do you ever look at your vivacious best friend who just seems to exude confidence, and you think to yourself…..”Wow, I sure would love to be as confident as she is!”? I want to let you in on a little secret…..you can be…..
Take a moment, and let that sink in. I know what you’re probably thinking. The objections are usually similar and along the lines of “But it’s just so easy for her; I could never be that confident”, or “It’s easy to be confident when you’re as _________(pretty, successful, tall, skinny, curvy, etc.) as she is”, or perhaps “I could be confident too if I had the family support and relationships that she has”. I’ve got news for you. Even that girl struggles with confidence. YES, EVEN HER. Wait, whaaat???
Confidence can be such a fragile thing. It seems that each and every minute of every day, something or someone is trying to erode that confidence that you so slowly have built up. Whether it’s social media, adds, that thoughtless comment, or, most of all…….our own selves. Now, you’re probably saying to yourself right about now, “Amanda, what the heck….I thought you were a DIY blogger…..why are you going all life-coach on us?” Yes, I am a DIY blogger….that is exactly why I am discussing this topic because confidence comes from within. The external factors don’t affect us unless we let them. Easier said than done right?
Let me tell you….I have struggled with every single one of the above thoughts. As someone who had to grow up quickly and who has always been fiercely independent, I have found that one of the biggest confidence-builders is actually creating and building something. What better way to feel confident than to know you can rely on yourself? To know you can build your own book-shelf; to know you can fix your own toilet; to know you can paint your own bedroom.
The satisfaction of starting with a pile of raw materials and ending up with a creation you built/designed/or put together has no comparison. With every project you do, you learn a little more…a little more of a skill, a little more of yourself, a little more of what you’re made of. In doing so, you add another block to your confidence foundation. The more blocks of confidence you acquire, the stronger your foundation, and the less you sway and are compromised from outside forces.
So, I hope you jump on board and begin testing what you’re made of along side of me. I promise it will be fun. It will be scary at times. It will stretch you. But, oh the rewards you will gain!
Xoxo,
Amanda
