Confidence.

It is not ego.
It is not arrogance.
It is not dominance.
It doesn’t overpower.

It is poise.
It is assurance.
It is authenticity.
It is power.

Confidence is very personal. What makes one person confident might look and feel different for the next person. But, in my experience and in the conversations that I have with women, these are the key themes that come up time and time again when I discuss ‘What is confidence?’ with them.

Confidence is not about being in-your-face, arrogant, egotistical, bragging or pushy. It’s not about being an extrovert or making an impact on crowds of people, either. Some of the most confident and inspiring people I know are quietly confident, and make a positive impact on others in a way that’s authentic and true to them – because how they are and how they talk speaks volumes for them.

And for me, confidence is about just that.

It’s knowing your strengths and skills. It’s not being shy to talk about your strengths and skills. It’s about using your strengths and skills to their best effect, in a way that’s authentic for you.

It’s about setting boundaries for yourself – being clear with yourself and others on what you will and won’t put up with. It’s about respecting those boundaries for yourself, and not compromising on them. It’s asking other people to respect those boundaries.

It is about talking to yourself in the same way that you would talk to those you care about. It is about talking and being with others in a way that clearly shows how much you respect and value yourself, as well as them.

Confidence is about being fabulously, wonderfully, authentically you. And not apologising for it.

If you struggle with your self-confidence, please get in touch. I have several group sessions that I run for women that focus on building confidence. And I also offer one-to-one confidence coaching, if that works better for you.