Confidence is the best outfit a woman or anyone, for that matter, can put on. Besides all those beautiful and gorgeous dresses, of course.
Confidence is an internal outfit expressed on the outside in every way.
Confident women infuse it in everything they do.
A confident woman is immediately recognised and noticed. There is an air of firm certainty about her. Her poise, demeanour and expressions indicate self-assurance.
Confidence speaks for itself. It is neither loud nor obnoxious, yet, it makes itself known.
Some women are naturally confident, some others have to work at it.
What are the distinguishing traits and characteristics that are typical to confident women?
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They know who they are
Confidence is assurance in who one is.
Confident women have knowledge of who they are beyond their favourite colour, favourite food and favourite things.
Their self-knowledge is a deep and profound insight into who they really are, their innermost being, their internal environment, mindsets, beliefs, deepest heart desires, thinking patterns both positive and negative, and their abilities, both innate and acquired.
They comprehend and are aware of how their experiences have shaped and are shaping their behaviour.
Self-assured women are conscious of how their internal and external environments contribute to their person, to their way of life, to their conduct and their views about life and the world in general.
Confident women understand themselves on a deep level because they have carefully and patiently taken the time and effort to do the required work.
Confident women are grounded and secure in self-knowledge.
2. They accept themselves
It is one thing to know oneself, it is an entirely different thing to accept oneself.
Confident women accept themselves for who they are.
They don’t look outside of themselves for approval and validation.
They are secure and comfortable in what they know and learn and find out about themselves.
They constantly make peace with who they are and their journey in life so far.
Confident women are comfortable in their own skin.
They constantly adjust their minds to accept who they are while working towards betterment.
They don’t overcompensate in any way because they know and accept that they are enough.
3. They are assertive
Confident women do not endure or put up with inconvenience or dissatisfaction just because they are too nervous to speak up.
Confident women speak up even if they feel shy or timid.
They do not retreat in fear or let their nerves get the best of them because they know the results of speaking up and the consequences of their silence.
Confident women speak up and stand up for themselves and others when the occasion arises.
They don’t allow themselves to be disrespected.
Politely and clearly, a confident woman makes her demands and needs to be known.
4. They are courageous
Confident women are not easily intimidated.
They feel fear but they don’t let it dominate their actions or influence them negatively, rather they make use of it as a stepping stone.
Confident women step up and deliver the courage that living demands because they understand that courage is doing it afraid.
I’ve learned in life that confidence comes from doing and not waiting.
If you want to wait until you feel confident before you do what you’ve got to do, you might wait forever.
Don’t wait until you feel confident before you make a choice, make a decision or take a step.
Truth is, you will never feel confident enough.
Courage is doing it even with your heart in your mouth.
No one gets courageous simply by waiting but by doing.
Have you seen anyone who gets an award for waiting to feel confident?
“…and the grand prize goes to you reading this for waiting to feel confident enough!”
Nah.
People get rewarded for doing.
What is that decision you’re yet to make because you don’t feel courageous enough?
Quitting a toxic relationship, asking for a raise that you deserve, applying to a higher position, going back to school to study your dream course, going for an audition, starting your own business, pursuing your passion, proposing to someone you love, asking someone out, standing up to someone, quitting a relationship where you’re taken for granted, leaving an abusive marriage etc.
Whatever it is, confidence is doing it regardless of how you feel.
5. They are grounded
Confident women are convinced women. Convinced about their abilities, beliefs, and truths.
They are unshaken, but not rigid.
Self-assured women are open-minded but not easily influenced; they are not tossed to and fro by every wave of opinion.
They are consistent with their beliefs while working towards refinement.
6. They’re their own version of beautiful
Confident women do not succumb to the world’s definition of beauty because they know that it’s constantly changing.
We currently live in a world where women are expected to look some type of way to be called beautiful – tall, slim, flat tummy (even after birthing four kids), curvy, fair.
It seems that any woman who doesn’t meet these standards isn’t beautiful enough and shouldn’t even be happy with herself.
A lot of women are battling with low self-esteem because they don’t feel confident enough in their looks, they don’t feel good about their body.
It’s okay to want to work on your body but it should not be for societal validation or applause from people.
Confident women do not let the world define how they should look to be beautiful.
They determine their own definition of beauty and let the world accept it.
7. They know their strengths, weaknesses and limitations
Confident women do not pretend to be everything, know everything or be able to do everything.
They know their limitations and weaknesses and they love themselves while they work on their imperfections.
They are comfortable with not being perfect.
8. They celebrate themselves
Confident women do not wait for their lives or circumstances to be perfect before they celebrate themselves.
They choose to enjoy where they are on the way to where they are going.
9. They make their happiness their choice and responsibility
Confident women do not wait for someone to make them happy. They create their own happiness.
They take charge of their lives and do what makes them happy as long as no one’s hurt.
10. They are not intimidated by other women
Just like smart women, confident women do not hate on other women or get intimidated by them, instead, they lift up other women and look out for them.
They are confident in themselves and the value that they carry, knowing no one can take their place or do things just the way they do them.
They know that pulling other women down does not necessarily bring them up. They believe in women supporting women, understanding that we rise by lifting others up.
Also, they know that there’s power in numbers, and women can instil confidence in each other just by being united.
11. They learn from other women
Confident women also learn to be confident by learning from other confident women.
They celebrate confident women and learn their acts.
12. They own their mistakes and learn from them
Confident women do not try to blame others for their choices, instead, they take responsibility for their mistakes and learn from them, and are careful not to make the same mistakes.
The beautiful thing about this is that, no one can shame you with a mistake/flaw you already owned!
Dear woman, always remember you don’t have to be perfect to be confident. Be yourself, be open to growth, and be on the journey to being confident.
