Confidence: It's Key

That's right. Confidence is a paramount piece of the puzzle commonly referred to as life. But oh! how prone we are to compare ourselves to others, to adhere to the doubts in our pretty little heads, to second guess, to focus on our shortcomings and snub our strengths as though it's been our job from the moment we first called this world our home. You see, the concept of confidence sounds utterly exquisite, a lovely way to go about viewing ourselves and others. But perhaps, it is the most vivid example of the old adage that it's often easier said than it is done. Gee whiz, why must this always be the case?

Well, I have found that humans - even those seemingly perfect ones who induce a second glance with each parting of the first - all have some sort of flaw, some looming fault that the mirror always gets a kick out of pointing out, some insecurity way deep down. Even if no one else can see it, we can. I mean, we truly are our own worst critics. Forget the camera; our own finicky, ever-examining eyes add ten pounds. And what a travesty this all is. Now, I'm not here to simply state that we're all beautiful and should be happy with ourselves just the way we are and all that jazz. That's great; don't get me wrong, and I will always be whole-heartedly certain that this point is 100% true. But I've never been one to love cliches. In fact, I kind of live to do the opposite of everyone else, to make use of a brand new perspective, to recycle tired, hackneyed advice and rejuvenate it a bit if I am so able.

So yes; we're all beautiful and talented in some way; I can vouch for that fact. But I believe that it rests in so much more than all of this. It's about learning to accept the idea that comparing oneself to another in the hope of attaining some sort of peace or security in the process is about as futile as going for a picnic as a harsh thunderstorm begins to roll in. At the time, it doesn't seem so bad, but as soon as you spread your checkered blanket on the soft green grass, the petrichor starts to pass, and the rain itself begins to pour down, accompanied by its cohorts, thunder and lightning. Suddenly, regret makes its way to the forefront, and you can see that all of your packing and planning were for naught. Yes; this is the equivalent of using comparison for some sort of self affirmation. It may seem alright at the time, but it can severely cloud your perceptions and leave you with a worthless feeling.

So maybe give confidence a shot. It's this fascinating concept where you believe in yourself and live with the full assurance that you are who you are and that alone is surely and entirely remarkable. If you ever feel the need to let a flaw or a setback or a shortcoming or a person define you, please do me a favor and stop that right now. I have found that there is something strangely exciting about a person with confidence, a person who is so comfortable with who he or she is that it becomes this contagious confidence fest. Such a lovely thing confidence is. May we all be ensconced in it. May we all lose ourselves in confidence only to find who we were truly made to be.

Because after all, confidence is key.