It's OK to Be Confident

Oh, the joys of being 14. Those awkward years of transitioning from a little girl into a pre-teen, wearing far too much eye liner to my first dance in the school gym, praying my crush would tap my shoulder during Nelly's 'Over and Over'... (such fond memories...)

During middle and high school, I noticed something about the other girls my age. The ones considered the most "beautiful" in my classes usually weren't the most aesthetically pleasing out of all the other gals. They were simply the ones who acted as if they were. They held their heads up high, spoke with authority, and lived life like their presence mattered. And I believed them.

That taught me a valuable lesson about human nature: being a woman of confidence will gain the respect of others, it's inevitable. When we foster self-respect and dignity, we will be seen as more trustworthy and become more noticed for our inherent beauty and innate talent.

Take a job interview, for instance. If we don't talk the talk and convince our interviewer why we fully deserve the position, why would they want to move forward with us? People are drawn to leaders - those who know what they're capable of and have obvious self-worth.

When we know who we are and Whose we are - daughters of God - we are encouraged to speak our minds. We are free to feel comfortable in our own skin; to feel determined and passionate and fearless and enthusiastic. We are more than welcome, in the eyes of Him, to be jazzed about life knowing we're capable of growing and living - really living.

I recently read a status on my Facebook feed: "If you could wake up tomorrow morning and be anyone, who would you be?" Initially, I began to contemplate who I wanted to trade places with. But the more I chewed on the question, I realized how ridiculous it was! We were graciously given our bodies and general circumstances by God - what we do with ourselves is our own free will. He left it up to us!

If we want to pursue acting, we can! If we want to make fitness a priority, we can! If we want to be the CEO of our own fashion startup or write a book or travel to Belize or drink daily green smoothies or qualify for the Boston Marathon or run for Congress or start a book club or take up oil painting or hang glide or start a blog - WE CAN, GIRLFRIEND!

Just like the cool girls we all remember from back in the day, it boils down to one factor: confidence. We can do it, ladies; whatever "it" may be. Usually, the only one standing in our way is ourselves. We need to get out of our own way and get to stepping toward our goals because we matter!

Tomorrow, let's walk into each room as if we're the shiniest marbles in the box. Let's fake it until we make it, remembering we are daughters of the living God!