I’ve been realizing lately that confidence is a major issue for me. I feel like I have little to no self-esteem. I constantly look for reassurance and opinions from other people. Lately, I’ve even been doubting my choices. Every time I leave the house I ask my husband if I look okay or something similar to get feedback and reassurance. I have very little confidence in my abilities and capabilities.
I recognize that my lack of self-confidence is interfering with my life and work. It gets in the way of developing friendships. It keeps me from taking the risks and going for the opportunities that would help my business grow. It is holding me back and that is not okay.
Although it is true, it does no good to say my parents did a poor job of instilling confidence in me. I’m an adult now. It’s my own responsibility to change and grow. Since having this epiphany, I’ve decided to work on fixing my self-confidence and self-esteem.
I ran across The Confidence Gap earlier this week on Facebook (via GoldieBlox). It is a very well written article with good information on the differences between men and women when it comes to self-confidence. I think it will really help in tackling this issue.
Below are a few quotes from The Confidence Gap that resonated with me:
Women feel confident only when they are perfect. Or practically perfect.
What doomed the women in Estes’s lab was not their actual ability to do well on the tests. They were as able as the men were. What held them back was the choice they made not to try.
The natural result of low confidence is inaction. When women hesitate because we aren’t sure, we hold ourselves back.
…to become more confident, women need to stop thinking so much and just act.
Almost daily, new evidence emerges of just how much our brains can change over the course of our lives, in response to shifting thought patterns and behavior. If we keep at it, if we channel our talent for hard work, we can make our brains more confidence-prone.
The Confidence Gap is definitely worth the read, so please check it out!
–Amy 🙂
What are your thoughts on the article? Was there a particular quote that resonated with you? Share in the comments or send me an email.
