The Importance of Self-Confidence

by Natalya Morales

Growing up in the period of social media, self-confidence can be a very hard thing to find. Comparing myself to everyone’s looks and everyone’s lifestyles can ruin the way one perceives themselves. Self-confidence can make or break the way people live their everyday lives. Confidence can also majorly affect someone’s mental health.

Confidence is something I have struggled with ever since I was a kid. I found myself picking at everything I did, from the way I looked to the way I acted. I tried to make myself perfect for others. The only thing I cared about was what others thought of me, in doing this I lost any sense of self-worth. All I wanted was to look in the mirror and think I was beautiful. I remember a time when I was ten years old, I hated myself so much that I would stand in the bathroom for hours just staring at myself. I would count out all the things I thought was wrong with me.

Humans search for perfection, whether it is the way we work, your personality, or your looks. I know that I used to strive to be the most perfect version of myself. I always wanted to fit in, I never wanted anyone to judge me. Covering up and putting on a fake jaded persona is what I thought would please other people. Why did I never try to please myself? As a society, we are taught to change who we are to make other people comfortable. You should talk a certain way, walk a certain way, and act a certain way. Especially as a woman I was taught that I would never charm or satisfy someone if I didn’t act ladylike. Society set in my mind that if I was not skinny, or “drop-dead gorgeous” I had no worth.

In order to teach myself self-confidence, I had to learn that everybody is beautiful but not everybody is perfect. Not in the physical sense, but in the personality sense. Every single person in the world has flaws and that is ok. I have to learn to love all parts of me and learn how to grow from my flaws. I had to learn to say screw you to society. I had to master the art of not caring. Choosing my own happiness had to turn into my top priority. I was so depressed that I found it to be a chore to even get put of bed. I would refuse to leave the house because I didn’t want people to know what I looked like. Growing out of this I had to mature mentally and realize I have worth. Life is way too short to focus on other people’s lives. Love and appreciate what makes you your own person. Being unique is what makes the world strive. Relish in the things that make you special. Enjoy the things that bring you true contentment. Be optimistic for your future.

Confidence is something that you have to work on every single day, and sometimes it is not always going to be easy. Grow from the fear of acceptance and gain the mindset of courage. Live life to the fullest and never let people hold you back, accept what you love. Most of the time the things that were built to hurt you only make you braver. Never be the cause of your own suffering. You are beautiful, you are enough, and don’t let anyone or anything tell you otherwise.

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(Read all the pieces in This I Believe; featured image from Pixabay user geralt)