Confidence! Some of us are born with it and some of us just aren’t! I used to believe that!!
In High School I would watch the “confident” kids go up on stage and speak to a crowd of people without skipping a beat and there I was, blushing when I was asked a question directly in class. What was their secret? What made them so confident? What was wrong with me?
But now I know that confidence comes in different packages and discovering your very own, unique and perfect package is the secret to you having great confidence. Discovering your unique confidence is like finding a hidden gem. It’s something that you have to work at, but it’s so worth it when you find it.
Journaling is one of the best ways to start discovering your confidence. It allows you to get curious about yourself and all the aspects that make up “you”. The more you learn about yourself, the more confident you will feel. And once you start feeling confident, there’s no stopping you! So don’t be afraid to get started on your journey of finding your unique confidence. It’ll be the best decision you ever make.
What is wrong with me?
I used to feel as though there was something either wrong with me or missing in me and that was why I lacked confidence. Today I value the words of Dr Seuss “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
It’s not you!
I think we often lack confidence because we haven’t realized that what makes us unique is actually what we should be confident about. Instead, we measure confidence against an artificial standard set by society. Society tells us that confidence is about being outgoing and never having any doubts or insecurities. But the truth is, confidence is really about being comfortable in your own skin and knowing your worth – qualities that are often found in introverted or quiet people.
Here are my favourite confidence boosting journalling prompts to help you discover your uniqueness that makes you special.
Here are my 7 favourite Confidence Boosting Prompts
Prompt #1 : How would your best friend describe you?
Start off by thinking about why your best friend is so special to you and what it is about them that you love and value so much. Surely, the opposite must be true and your best friend must value and love very specific things about you too.
Jot down a list about all the things you think your best friend loves about you and what words they would use to describe you to someone who has never met you before.
If you find this hard and cannot start this list or get stuck, simply ask your friend to start this list off for you. The fun part about this exercise is that it is hard to get started, but once you do, the list grows and grows, as you open yourself up to truly seeing yourself and what makes you so unique.
Prompt #2 : What have you accomplished over your lifespan?
Take time to think throughout your lifespan and make a list of all your accomplishments – big and small!
Think about each one of these accomplishments and why you were successful? What was it about you at that point in time that resulted in this accomplishment? What actions did you take to get this result? How were you feeling at the time?
The answers to those questions is where your confidence lies! Acknowledge these moments of accomplishment and watch your confidence grow.
Prompt #3 : What was the biggest mistake you made this week?
What was that one thing you did this week that made you want to kick yourself hard or hide under a table and hope no-one would see you and the mistake you made?
Our first response usually in these moments is to tell ourselves how incredibly awful we are and that nothing ever goes right for us. Can you hear those voices in your head talking smack about you??
But just stop for one second and imagine that this very same mistake was made by your best friend! What would you be telling her? What would you say to her? How would you want her to feel after you have said these things? What should she know about herself so that she will walk away feeling that making mistakes is ok!
Positive self-talk helps to boost confidence and that is why it is important recognise when it is your own words that are putting you down.
Prompt #4 : Write a love letter to yourself
I love this one! It reminds me of when I was 12 years old and we used to pass letters secretly around the classroom to the boys that we liked. We used to pour our heart and soul out and tell them all sorts of reasons why we liked them.
Write a love letter to yourself, to your body and to your mind thanking it for all it has done for you. No body-shaming or negative comments allowed!! Start writing and you will be amazed at what you can all be thankful for within yourself! I found this to be such a fun one, I decorated the page with little hearts and kisses, just like I used to in my letters in the past.
Writing this letter will point out all of the things within yourself that you should feel confident about.
Prompt #5 : What could you speak about at a party all night?
What do you catch yourself speaking about freely for hours and hours on end? What do you have a strong opinion about or a great knowledge on? Journal a little around this and make a list of all the things you are passionate about and think about why you have all this knowledge in these specific areas.
By highlighting these things, you are also highlighting and acknowledging your areas of expertise and this alone will show you what you should feel confident about.
Prompt #6 : How do you want to be remembered one day?
Imagine your best friends and family celebrating your 100th birthday, but you are not there anymore. What would you want them to remember about you? What would make you proud to hear them saying about you?
What are those special little things about you that would stand out for those who love you and be remembered forever? Confidence comes in knowing that you are special in other people’s eyes for exactly who you are.
Prompt #7 : What made you feel great this week?
What did you do that filled you with joy and confidence? What compliments did you receive from people who noticed something you did? What did they say? What words did they use?
Make a list of moments you felt great and why you felt this way? What about that moment made you feel this way? What were you doing or what actions were you taking when you felt like this good confident feeling?
Hearing positive and uplifting words from someone else’s mouth helps you feel better about yourself.
Conclusion
Confidence is not only about being loud, being seen or having a larger than life personality. So often, we lack confidence because we compare ourselves to others and fall short. We think confidence is about being perfect, about hiding our flaws and presenting a polished exterior to the world.
But the truth is, confidence is about so much more than that. Confidence is about being comfortable in your own skin, about accepting yourself – flaws and all. It’s about recognizing that what makes you unique is exactly what makes you special. So next time you find yourself lacking confidence, pick up your journal and get curious about uniqueness, because this is your strength.
Embrace who you are and your confidence will follow.
Grab your Free Confidence Boosting Affirmations Here to keep reminding you of how unique and awesome you are!
