Build Your Self-confidence 1. 【T1】______ fear 【T1】______ ■ Self-confidence ≠ 【T2】______

Build Your Self-confidence
A person with self-confidence towards life generally likes herself, is willing to take risks to achieve her personal and professional goals, and thinks positively about the future. Someone without self-confidence, however, tends to have a negative perspective about herself and what she hopes to gain in life. The good news is that self-confidence is something that you can build on your own.
First, be comfortable with fear. You may think that people who are self-confident are never fearful. This simply is not true. Fear means you are at your growing edge. Perhaps your fear is speaking in front of a group, introducing yourself to someone you don’t know, or asking your boss for a raise.
When you are able to confront your fear, you will gain self-confidence and you will feel the boost immediately! Imagine a baby as she learns to walk. So much possibility awaits her. But she is fearful that she will fall as she takes those first steps. When she conquers her fear, and begins walking, a huge smile covers her face! This is you, pushing past your fears too.
Next, stop comparing yourself to others. If you want to build your self-confidence, then you have to focus on improving your own life for the better, not on making your life more like your best friend’s, your older brother’s, or like those of the celebrities you see on television. If you want to build up your confidence, then you need to know that there will always be someone who is prettier, smarter, and richer than you, just like there will always be someone who is less attractive, less intelligent, and less wealthy than you are; all of this is irrelevant, and what is relevant is caring about advancing your own goals and dreams.
You may lack confidence because you’re convinced that everyone else has it better than you do. However, at the end of the day, it only matters if you’re happy by your own standards. If you have no idea what those are, then it’s time to do some soul searching before you move forward.
Studies have found that spending time on social media often encourages people to compare themselves with others. Because people tend to post only their triumphs and not their realities of daily life, it can seem as though the lives of others are more wonderful than your own. This is likely not true. Everyone has ups and downs in their lives.
Furthermore, practice gratitude. Often at the root of insecurity and lack of confidence is a feeling of not having enough of something, whether it’s emotional validation, material items, good luck, or money. By acknowledging and appreciating what you do have, you can combat the feeling of being incomplete and dissatisfied. Take some time to sit and think about all of the things you have going for you, from your wonderful friends to your health.
Sit down and make a gratitude list, writing down all of the things you are thankful for. Read it over and add to it at least once a week, and it will put you in a more positive, empowering frame of mind.
You can provide yourself with an extra dose of confidence. You are capable of becoming what you want to be. Do yourself a favor and start building your self-confidence from today on.