fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
What is it like to have too many interests?
By: Estelle Petroz
Tags: Self Improvement, Beyourself, Dontgiveupworld, Curiosity, Confidence

Since a young age, I always had too many interests. I read every single book in the house, I danced, swam and played every sort of sport, I travelled and moved countries. But I never knew what I was really interested in. Even now I am struggling. I am in the last year of my degree and the only thing I know is that I wish to continue travelling and studying. How to make it possible? This is maybe for a future story. Right now I just want to share my experience in understanding what I am sure I am not interested in.

For so long I believed that I was interested in everything I was good at — or I was told to be good at. I thought that I loved to dance. My every-day-life was made of dancing in front of a mirror. I thought that I loved it because my parents loved seeing me dancing. I thought I loved to swim because my brother was extremely good at it, why wouldn’t I love what he loved? Then the years passed by, and I was interested in many things: skating, languages, philosophy, history, culture, etc. I am not saying that I was never interested in all of that, but I was interested in them just for a short period of time. I would become an expert on every single topic and then slowly giving up.

Everyone around me kept asking how I was doing in my many interests and I learnt to lie, even to myself. I was keeping projecting their hopes into mines. Until I started understanding what I loved — I am still in the process though. I wasn’t giving up because I wasn’t good enough or because someone was telling me I couldn’t make it. I gave up because my curiosity on those topics wasn’t growing anymore. Once I understood that, I finally looked at everything differently. I was riding my metaphorical horse with a baggage of knowledge that I wouldn’t have gained if it weren’t for my fake interests.

The takeaway of my reflection is: don’t give up right away on those things that may not interest you, you may learn something from them. At the same time, don’t hold onto them for too long. You may have many activities ready to be tested.
[커리어 노트 32] 포기하지 않고 걷다 보면 언젠간 다다른다
Tags: Self Love, Self-awareness, Self Improvement, Careers, Confidence

Everyday learner, passionate for humans, curious for the world. Working at Google, connecting dots…
Getting emo before the new year
By: Bulcha, The Charismatic Nerd
Tags: Self Improvement, Life Lessons, Inspiration, Confidence, Personal Development

I was reviewing a philosophy book today and came upon some passages about death.

It was great looking back and reminding myself about my one shot at life and how I need to utilize it.

Understanding that there is going to be a time where we will no longer exist is kind of surreal. Can you imagine living in Rome during the height of the Roman empire and then being gone along with the rest of other civilizations?

In a thousand years, there are going to be other civilizations living life looking back at us as history.

I can’t help but laugh thinking about it.

Now, why am I going off on a tangent?

Well, I just want to let you know that we’re going to die and you need to use your life the way you want to.

I understand that there might be obstacles.

Your family might be strict.

Your hometown might not have any opportunities.

Your passion for life might be nonexistent.

But you know what?

All those things can be changed or fixed. And the reason so many obstacles bring us down is because we don’t think we’re ever going to die.

Photo by Hugo Delauney on Unsplash

When you embrace your mortality, you are going to give the middle finger to anything or anyone that is bringing you down.

With death in mind, you are going to move on from your strict family.

With death in mind, you are going to leave your hometown to explore other opportunities.

With death in mind, you are going to start living a life that you will enjoy.

Embracing death brings clarity.

I know I talk about death often on this email list, but I just wanted to remind you. The new year is coming up and some of us have ambitions.

Let Death be the one to guide you to make the best decisions for yourself.

Let Death give you the realization that you don’t need a new year to accomplish your goals or dreams. You only need this very moment you have now.

So embrace death and unleash your passion for life.

We only have one shot at life, so make it count.

(If you enjoyed this short article, then click here to join my email list where you get a daily boost of confidence every morning plus the free Self-Improvement Cheat Sheet for Nerds.)
Nameless- A poem by Greyson Arnold
By: Greyson Arnold
Tags: Confidence, Personal Development, Poetry

I’m ok with being nameless when it comes to my actions

A faceless do-gooder who is remembered simply by the act,

nothing else.

But when it comes to my writing, I am quite the opposite.

My words are about the only thing I hold consistent pride in.

So when I say I want credit for my work

I want you to mark that piece with a brand shaped in my name,

Use a fire as strong as my opinions.

Make it irremovable,

Irrevocably the product of my experiences and my experiences alone.

And yes, I do have experiences.

Dark ones, behind closed doors.

Ones filled with tear-stained pillows and a mind fighting not to add blood stains.

When I write I bring every ounce of that pain to the forefront,

requiring my mind to relive each experience again and again.

So forgive me if i get territorial over the product of my continual resurrection of the past,

It’s my last connection to who I used to be.

Who I used to be is a stranger now,

and I am more okay with that than others are.

But my writing is what has remained constant about me.

A reliable safe haven for me to run to,

no matter how long it’s been

or how horrible I’ve been.

So when my ties to people loosen,

or my connection with myself seems to disintegrate

I want to see these works of art claiming me as their maker

reminding me I can put good into the world.
Will Your Friends Back You Up?
By: Boss Up
Tags: Friends, Confidence, Social Circles

5 Steps to Strengthening Your Social Support Network

Who’s in your corner?

The phrase is quoted everywhere, so much so, no one is quite sure where it even comes from anymore outside of some vague notion the words have to do with boxing. When you hear these words, you might even conjure an image in your head, a boxer about to launch himself into the fight. We see him as fighting for us somehow. As though this boxer winning the match will determine our future happiness and well-being.

It’s a vivid image. Now picture your friends in much the same way. Do you see those around you as likewise being ready to throw themselves into the fight on your behalf? Are they there to stand up for you? Will they stay by your side through thick and thin?

If you’re not sure, it might be time to strengthen your social network. After all, you need them. What’s more, they need you.

How to do this?

Start with You

What are your needs? What kind of support do you need right now? What support might you need later on?

Who’s Already on Your Team?

Next, identify what material you’re already working with. Who’s been there for you in the past? If you’re not sure, start with your family and your closest friends and stop a moment to assess the different ways they’ve already been on your side. Focus on building up these relationships before seeking out new ones.

What Interests You?

If you’re finding the structure somewhat lacking, you’re going to need to add some new people. You start by exploring your interests. Going to places such as Meetup.com or Facebook, hunt down groups that sound like the kind of people you’d love to hang out with. Love reading? Find a book club. Into taking pictures? Look for an amateur photography club.

What About Work?

You spend almost one-third of your life at your job. What about the people there? Who do you get along with particularly well? Are there individuals you admire or a mentor you’d like to have? Choose people who will build you up, and help you aspire to greater things.

Support Yourself

Lastly, don’t neglect the one person who should be supporting you no matter what happens in your life: YOU. Take care of yourself. Nurture body and soul, focusing intensely on self-talk and your feelings about yourself. After all, how can you ask other people to support you if you don’t believe in yourself?

In all of this, be patient as you work to create and strengthen your ideal group. Relationships take time. So will a healthy support circle.

Click Here To Learn More…
Breaking the Barrier Between a Superficial and a Real Relationship
By: Colton Hibbert
Tags: Authenticity, Relationships, Change, Family, Confidence

Photo by SignUpGenius

I just got home after an afternoon/evening of visiting with extended family for Christmas. At these occasions, I tend to stay in my corner, do my own thing, gravitate toward my immediate family, try not to ask too many questions, and ride the wave until it’s time to head home. Sound familiar?

I’m not saying that it’s not great to catch up with uncles, aunts, or cousins that you haven’t seen in a while (because it is), but I hope I’m not alone in saying that large family gatherings can be awkward at times. It’s like this constant charade we play each year where the same surface-level greetings are made, the same questions are asked, and the same level of minute-countdown-ing is shared. I usually think that it is my family that is to blame — after all, no one seems to be letting their true selves show. Today I tried to break the cycle by changing my behavior instead of focusing so much on others’. It worked wonders.

I made a concerted effort to open myself up to my family today and show a side of me that they don’t normally see: my genuine self. No superficial conversations, no awkward hugging or hand-shaking, no cookie-cutter interactions. I simply wanted to feel comfortable in front of my own family.

As I did this, as I’m sure you could surmise, my family started to open up to me as well. I felt that I was getting the real them as I was giving the real me. This proved to strengthen my connection with those that I love and increase the overall enjoyment of our gathering. It felt less like “my side of the family” and “your side of the family” and more like “our family”.

This taught me an important lesson about cultivating deep connections with others: authenticity begets authenticity. The more genuine we are with others, the more we invite others to be genuine with us, which, in turn, compels us to be even more genuine, thus perpetuating the process.

As we focus on what we can control (which is only ourselves), we blame and accuse others less. Doing this allows us to love others more fully. This is because we no longer see ourselves as a victim, which is the driving force behind blame and accusation, and them as a victimizer, which is what prevents us from being authentic in the first place.

So, when it comes to breaking the barrier between a superficial and a real relationship, let’s make the first step in courageously opening up to those around us. And whether or not authenticity is reciprocated, we will be able to say that we lived true to ourselves and gain peace therein.
How To Gain The Confidence To Live A Remarkable Life
Tags: Confidence

On A Wing And Prayer With Confidence

A remarkable life begins with the intention to cast away the bowline on your former life, in exchange for new beginnings.



Whilst you may not know the steps required, you recognize your current experience is not what you want.



Once you state your intention to change your circumstances, the pieces of the puzzle will come together.



Most journeys are lined with detours, dead ends and eventual success. Our voyage comprises peaks and turning points where we confront our demons, only to rise above them.

Your Attitude and Confidence

“Your attitude and how you respond to both opportunity and setbacks are critical to pivoting. You need to develop habits that help you foster a positive mind-set, help you understand yourself.



And, to increase your sense of control over your life,” affirms author Adam Markel in Pivot: The Art and Science of Reinventing Your Career and Life.



We must assume responsibility for our future which means accepting everything that arises along the way.



Nothing is gained overnight. Where success comes fast, it can be easily squandered, so don’t be in a haste to upgrade your life sooner.



It’s not how fast you reach your destination, but the lessons and experiences that matter. But, how did it build your confidence.



The Value Of Connections



We cannot create a remarkable life without the help of others. As social creatures, valued relationships can propel us to new heights.



My greatest life experiences resulted from co
Are you wearing the wrong bra size?
Tags: Bras, Results, Women, Change Your Life, Confidence

Did you know that over 75% of women are wearing the incorrect bra size. If you have ever felt that your bra just does not feel comfortable or it’s just not sitting right, YUP you are wearing the WRONG bra size. Most women who shop for there undergarments just pick out any bra that “looks” like it will fit. A proper bra fitting can be your best friend and a proper sized bra can make everything feel and look better. Most women don’t realize that when your undergarments fit great everything just falls into place. Are your straps digging in to your shoulders? Do the girls hang a little lower then they should be? Does the back of your bra ride up so much that your constantly pulling it back down to put it back in it’s place. YUP you are wearing the WRONG BRA! Most think that bras only go up to a DDD but did you know that some specialty stores can actually go from A to O. Yes i said an O cup, a lot of women when the bra doesn’t fit they tend to go from an 38DDD to 40DDD thinking that it will make the cup fit better. Which it does usually make the cup fit better BUT it also makes the back bigger which means you are losing all the support you had in your 38.

A lot of women think that the support on bras come from the straps but that is an incorrect assumption. Your support comes from your back , so if your back is to big then the girls aren’t sitting where they should be. You always want a snug band so as you wear your bra and it starts to stretch out you will be able to move inward on the hooks. If your bra always hooks automatically to the last one then that is the incorrect size for you. Your bra should always start on the first hook on it. Go to your local specialty store to get a proper bra fitting. You will definitely thank me later and it will change your life. I worked in a bra store for many years and it changed my life forever. The best thing about working was there when you changed a women’s life by just giving her a proper bra. It changes your confidence and makes you feel so good about yourself. So go get your life changed today and get a proper bra fitting. Make sure the store has all the sizes i mentioned above. Trust ME!
Don’t Know Where to Start a Conversation? Here’s 7 Easy Ways.
By: Abhijeet Anand
Tags: Self Improvement, Speaking, Conversations, Talks, Confidence

From formal set up to casual talks to dating, these are proven techniques across cultures.

We all have been in situations, at some point in our lives, where we were spellbound, couldn’t find topics to talk about, wouldn’t have the courage to initiate the conversation or simply would talk things that had no relevance to the people in frame. We also know people who will come out of these situations with flying colours while for some of us it is just utterly painful. I have seen extremely extrovert people freeze in certain environment to make a conversation and have also noticed several mildly introvert people make beautiful conversations in those environment.

What’s the real deal here?

The idea is to the understand the beauty behind effective communication and the human need in a conversation: the art of listening. While this article is not to talk about the art of listening but rather giving you the proven techniques which works in any set up to build a conversation. However, these will only work when you have the basics of listening. I will let you discover that for now by yourself and will talk about it in the subsequent articles.

So, the question is what would get people talking. And the answer lies in the fact that people love to talk about themselves- their job, their thoughts, their choices, their journey, their……. From a CEO to a street vendor, they all have a story and you connect the moment you help them talk about it. So keeping this in mind, here’s the 7 proven questions that will help you make conversations in any set up.

What are you most grateful for in your life? Working on any exciting personal project lately? With or without main time job? What’s working well for you right now? Want to share 3 things for me? What shows, podcasts, or books are you into these days? Any particular genre you like? What do you do to get rid of stress? What techniques you have found working for you? What would be your perfect weekend or holiday? What are you looking forward to in the future? How do you see the world reacting to it?

You can mix-match these conversation starters in different orders, set ups and ways to your own creativity. While you use them, keep in mind to choose questions which is closer to your thoughts and where you can add value to the conversation as well.

Next time, you don’t know where to start, keep these 7 suggestions in mind. You will surprise yourself. All the best!
Your idea is not too small
By: Dusti Arab
Tags: Ideas, Confidence, Course

I remember being told once by someone I deeply respect that I was more of a connector than a “big ideas” person.

As writer and creator, um. Ouch.

At the time, I internalized it as a failing in some way, like my ideas were not substantial enough on their own to really justify my creating a body of work. It had such an impact on impact on me that I lost confidence in my ability to create something original enough to be noteworthy, and as a result, I’ve left dozens of projects behind me, unfinished, since 2013.

Half-written books. Courses that never saw the light of day. Concepts I wasn’t so sure anymore were as interesting or life-changing as I found them. It’s hard to explain the grief I now feel for both the person that I was back then and the impact I could have made if I’d been able to complete some of those projects.

But from that experience, here’s what I know for sure.

***The ability to take what you learn, merge it with other concepts, and breathe new life into them with your ideas is one that has incredible value.***

How many people do you see currently obsessed with Stoicism?

How about folks that are into yoga?

You are allowed to take what works for you, add what works for you, and share it.

We stand on the shoulders of giants when we continue to build on the ideas that won’t let us sleep, the ones that inspire us to carry on.

Your perspective is innately valuable, and when you package it up in a way others can experience the way you have?

When no one has done it quite this way before, not one quite like you, that alone is enough to create value, to change someone’s mind, to help them get to place they want to go.

That’s the difference between how my I build courses and so many other programs. I don’t want or expect you to come with something completely unique or original, because guess what? It’s probably less likely to work and/or less unique than you may want to believe.

The reality is you don’t need that. You need a framework, a strategy, and the tactical information to help you deliver on the promise you deeply want to give.

That’s how we build a better world.

***Wanna build your big tiny idea with me? Bring it.***
Discovering Your “Ikigai” Could Be The End Of Your Fake Confidence
By: Azim Rushdi
Tags: Self Improvement, Work, Happiness, Confidence, Habits

I heard the emcee calling my name on the graduation platform. My heart beat as though I had completed a half an hour jog, but I kept my chin high. Chewing gum to reduce my nervousness, I received my graduation scroll with a confident smile. “Congratulations on your achievement,” said the Chancellor.

As I continued walking down the stage, I felt strange. I’ve just completed my four-year degree, but I didn’t feel much happier. Life didn’t seem too different. Apart from the fact that a path full of uncertainties lies ahead.

I once had a conversation with my Final Year Project colleague about life and career. He said something I’ll never forget — “Your career excels when your confidence excels.”

Growing up, I’ve always had to “fake ”my confidence. Being an introvert studying in a foreign country filled with foreign people, my self-doubt sometimes is deafening. I often end up choosing my shell over making connections with people.

Susan Jeffers said in her book, Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway, that the root of every fear is the fear that you can’t handle whatever life may bring you. She said all you have to do to diminish your fear is to develop more trust in your ability to handle whatever comes your way.

My brother introduced me to a Japanese concept that seems strange at first but has always felt natural — ikigai, or the reason for being. I read books and articles that talk about ikigai and I believe that pursuing it is the key to genuine confidence.

What Makes Us Doubt Ourselves?

Self-doubt comes from worrying about what others will think if you try and fail. Social psychologists call this natural tendency a “spotlight effect” — the tendency to overestimate how much other people notice about us. In other words, we tend to think there is a spotlight on us at all times, highlighting all of our mistakes or flaws, for all the world to see.

We are naturally absorbed with what we’re doing and how we’re feeling and believe that others feel the same toward us. But the reality is that’s rarely the case. Just like us, people are more consumed with their own lives.
Lack of Confidence Does Not Equal Lack of Talent
By: Constance Tuttle
Tags: Talent, Lack Of Confidence, Confidence, Self Confidence

© 2020 Robert “Robsta Monsta” Pisha / used with permission

Although someone lacking in confidence before performing a task makes it seem like the task is the reason — especially a sudden onset of a lack of assuredness in oneself — that’s only how it appears to us on the outside.

For obvious reasons, when dealing with something as complicated as feelings, a doesn’t automatically lead to b. So you can have all the talent in the world, but for reasons even completely unrelated to the topic at hand, you just . . . lack confidence.

“But it sure seems like their ability to perform is below par because they looked nervous right before!” Well, sure. That makes sense, it’s just not the case every time.

Feeling nervous is natural, but for the most part, also something we can’t control. At the very least you should judge someone’s appearance of nervousness to be generalized; assuming they’re thinking about what they’re doing or are about to do, people put all kinds of unseen pressure on themselves. They could be nervous about the aspect of doing something in front of a certain audience, not the action itself. They could fear something else you can’t see, such as an impending result of something they can only find out later.

You can also have deeply rooted self-esteem and/or anxiety that affects the way your confidence level appears. Far more people than we think suffer from anxiety. Believing in yourself and one’s powers may not be strong enough to overcome even acute clinical anxiety. There are all kinds, but some that spring to mind are performance anxiety and social anxiety, which can certainly cause an irrational lack of sureness, even if you’ve practiced until you couldn’t get it wrong if you tried.

Now let’s talk about the other side of the spectrum: someone’s level of talent will not always lead to the same level of trust about it. Confidence is belief in the certainty of something, and people have differing levels of self-confidence based on how they feel. That’s it. In the case of someone having low self-esteem, they may have this deflated sense that doesn’t match the great level of their abilities; someone with high self-esteem sees themself in a positive light but has realistic expectations of their abilities; and some people can have an inflated sense of self-confidence about their talents due to arrogance or a simple misunderstanding of the set standards.

I tried not to go down the rabbithole about what leads to what. Merely, someone lacking in confidence does not equal a lack of what they can do. It can, but it’s not always that straightforward. I don’t want people immediately dismissing others’ talents just because they’re lacking in confidence about it.
Matt you always win my heart over and over again.
By: Anand Choudhury
Tags: To Do List, Confidence, Journalling, Done

Matt you always win my heart over and over again.

1.It’s motivating to look upon what we’ve achieved instead of looking on what is remaining. As you said ‘done’ lists works better than ‘to-do lists’.

2. There will always be people who’d dislike us. I also used to feel stuck, when these emotions ran over my heart and prevented me to take actions on my goals.

3. Writing letters to ourselves. I never tried this before. Now I am going to write letters to myself and keep them with me till the end of my life. It will help me to reflect upon myself and closely follow my life journey.

Brilliant!!! Thank you…
Are You Open to Reality? Let’s Check the Facts.
By: Amie At Mastermind Personal Coaching
Tags: Self Improvement, Life, Life Lessons, Relationships, Confidence

When you read the title of this article, what was your immediate answer? Mine was, YES! I’m not someone with my head in the sand — I live in reality! Don’t I?

We all filter information in our own way. We filter it based on our memories, past experiences, current moods, and our preferred method of taking in information. Because we all filter things differently, chances are whatever you are hearing and seeing is being heard and seen differently by someone else. It’s a lot for the mind to handle — even though two people take in the exact same information, those two people walk away receiving a different message.

A good way to make sure you are staying in reality is to check the facts. When someone is talking to you and you feel like they are accusing you of something, your best next step is to check the facts before you react. Did they actually tell you that you did something wrong, or do you just feel like they did? If you are unsure, check the facts. If you are having a conversation with someone, repeat back what you just heard. If you do this, you can make sure you are experiencing the reality of the conversation. Once you have the other person’s confirmation that you heard correctly, you have just verified that you didn’t put that conversation through your own filter and hear something that wasn’t actually said.

Another thing we all do is believe that things should work better, be easier, go faster, etc. The fact of the matter is that they don’t. When we choose to believe things should be different than they are, we again are not living in reality. What happens when we accept things (and people) as they are? It shifts the brain from wishing mode to acting mode. The brain now understands if there is something in our reality that we dislike, we either need to work on trying to improve it, or if possible, we remove it from our lives if improvement is not possible. If neither of those things can be done, the brain decides that this thing we don’t like must be accepted as part of our reality. Once that reality is accepted, the brain loses interest, and wants to focus on something else that it can work at. The brain does not enjoy being idle, and wants to do things. Accepting reality for what it is helps us avoid getting sucked into that endless rabbit hole of negativity because as we all know, if we tell our brain that is where we want to go, our brain is more than happy to take us there!

If there is some grievance that you believe is happening that actually isn’t, don’t waste your time and energy getting caught up in it. If there is something in your life you aren’t thrilled with and you can’t change it, once you accept it as the reality that it is, you can then change your focus onto areas of your life where you can make a positive impact. Reality is the best possible place to live, and it takes all of us being very aware of what is going on within us and around us to stay grounded in it. Today is a great day to start checking the facts in your life!
Identify then do
By: Rob Arthur
Tags: Self-awareness, Mindfulness, Motivation, Confidence, Discipline

It’s not uncommon to feel stuck.

Like we’re not making any progress.

Day after day.

Week after week.

Year after year.

Our life isn’t getting any better or richer.

We might not have any glaring problems.

Yet, we feel this emptiness.

Often, this is because we actually are stuck.

We’re not making any progress.

We’re simply going through the motions.

There’s a solution to this feeling of stagnation.

Identify what you want.

Who you want to be.

What you’re called to accomplish.

How to make it happen.

Then do the work.

Start with identifying.

Follow up with doing.

Identify then do.

It might sound simple.

It won’t be easy.

It’ll take some time to figure out what you want.

You’ll probably fail, repeatedly.

That’s okay.

Keep showing up.

Keep moving forward.

That’s unstuck.

You’ve got this.
This post is a real eyeopener and it got me thinking about what I’ve built my confidence on over the past few years.Thank you.
Tags: Self Improvement, Self Esteem, Becoming, Growth, Confidence

This post is a real eyeopener and it got me thinking about what I’ve built my confidence on over the past few years.Thank you.
BE your PRIME SELF
By: Fatima Javed
Tags: Self Improvement, Motivation, Product Management, Confidence, Productivity

If you are struggling to be more productive, influential and have an executive presence, these are some hands-on practices that might help you be your PRIME self.

Asking provoking questions — When was the last time you were at your prime emotion?

Prime Emotion are the ones that make you feel your best and It is a kind of a moment you want to last forever, to help you below are few.

PRIME emotions

E.g. My prime emotion is to feel appreciative

In this <situation> what <actions> am I supposed to take to reach at this prime emotion

<Situation> I am new to the team and I must ramp up quickly to get the domain knowledge so that I can contribute towards the team’s success so that my contributions are appreciated.

<Tasks> Have 1:1 with stakeholders, know customer pain points, research on solution areas, ramp up on tools used, brush up on skills that are relevant, get feedback, ask questions etc. (This can be relevant to what you know is best by experience or by reaching out to experts)

Persistence is key here; you must stay committed to the tasks you have planned for yourself. It will be uncomfortable in the beginning, but you will get better and be in your prime emotion frequency. All the best!

These are the writer’s personal views. It is up to the audience to apply.
Imposter Syndrome
By: Dr. Faisal Jamshaid
Tags: Imposter Syndrome, Life Lemons, Imposter, Confidence, Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome

Illustration by Author

Do you suffer from Imposter Syndrome?

Chances are, you probably are one.

‘Imposter syndrome’ is the feeling of doubt surrounding one’s achievements, skills and talents. It’s an internalised fear that we’re not who we claim to be; a sense of guilt that we’re lying to the people around us.

After all, who are we to give our opinion?

Who are we to claim we’re good at something?

Who are we to grant ourselves permission to start?

We’re imposters, right?

For a large part of my life, I suffered from imposter syndrome.

There were times I didn’t speak up because I didn’t think I’d be adding anything new.

I hesitated to publish my first blog because I was afraid to stake my claim at being a writer.

I held off from creating videos because, what right did I have being a Youtuber?

“I feel like an imposter often. That’s because my best work involves doing things I’ve never done before.” — Seth Godin

With time, I learnt to dance with the fear of being an imposter, to accept it.

The truth is, it isn’t normal to be arrogant over a title you’ve granted yourself.

It isn’t normal to be disproportionally confident in your abilities.

It isn’t normal to feel entitled to new spaces.

Imposter syndrome is a sign that you’re a “well-adjusted human”.

Often, it appears when you’re doing something that hasn’t been done before.

You feel like an imposter because you don’t belong there, because nobody belongs there.

With no clear path, no guarantee and no manual, imposter syndrome is a sign that you’re innovating.

It’s a sign that you’re not just following those who came before you. A sign that you’re working towards a future that’s not quite here yet. A sign that you’ve earned the right to a new space, because you’re the one creating it.

So if you feel like an imposter, you very well might be.
Why some people have talent but zero confidence?
By: Zainab Alizai
Tags: Blogging, Mental Health, Blog, Parenting, Confidence

We might have seen people having talent but they are shy enough to show it to world why?

Confidence comes with the way you are grown,your parents gives you the confidence.

The people that are grown in narrow minded house system have less confidence especially girls due to alot of restriction and those restrictions makes no sense sometimes and if we talk about boys most of them become rebellious and the remaining become very scared they are scared enough to face the world or even they feel scared to go out.

Due to restrictions child forgets how to express and like that if they have talent they become scared to tell it to anyone

Parents play huge role in bringing child confidence

Like restrictions on children there is another thing very common in our society that is major cause of children not having confidence and that is parents fight.

In many cases parents forgets that their fight will have negative effects on their child they fight in front of their children and when their child see them fighting they become scared.That one fight can brutally effect their child mentally

Most of the children stop communicating with their parents

They stop telling them what’s going on with them.they lose their confidence and don’t express their talent.Because parents are the one who tells their child that they have talent and help them to show it to world when parents and children stop having conversations with each other or stop communicating with each other how parents gonna know about their children talent

Child itself is unable to find their self in such small age

Parents should focus on their child so that they can have confidence to show their talent…
5 Commonly Accepted Mindsets Confident People Tend to Avoid
By: Moreno Zugaro
Tags: Self Improvement, Mental Health, Confidence, Personal Development, Psychology

For most of my life, I thought of myself as extremely confident. After all, I seemed like a super confident person to everyone around me. Yet, I was full of insecurities. Nose too big, calves too small, and acne that turned my face into a book for blind people. I faked my confidence to distract from them — but you can’t fake true confidence.

Well, you can. You can fake it to the outside world. Even though some people will see through your show, most will regard you as confident if you’re just loud or straightforward enough. But the truth will always come out.

A lack of true confidence holds you back. You overthink, stay silent and small, and are too shy to stand up for yourself or grab the bull by the horns. You miss a bunch of opportunities — dating, jobs, experiences. You feel bad about yourself and you want to be more confident, just like everyone else. However, most people aren’t aware of what it takes to become truly confident.

In his bestselling book, The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, Nathaniel Branden explains that confidence is intertwined with your actions in a special way.

It’s cause and result at the same time. The confident person speaks up in a meeting because they’re confident — but they’re also confident because they speak up in meetings. It’s a chicken-and-egg problem.

This reciprocal relationship doesn’t only hold for building confidence, but also for destroying it. If you engage in the wrong behaviors, they undermine your confidence, which causes the wrong behaviors, which undermines your confidence, which…you get the point.

Once I realized I faked my confidence for years, I decided to get rid of the bogus behaviors. Soon enough, people noticed the difference and asked me how I did it. It’s simple — I looked at the genuinely confident people around me and stopped doing what they didn’t.

Will avoiding these behaviors make you more confident overnight? No. Will it keep you from destroying your confidence through the wrong actions and instead help you build it over time by doing the right things? Hell yeah.

Here are the five things the most confident people rarely ever do.
Confidence is Key
By: Summer Jones
Tags: Friendship, Friends, Friendship Day, Confidence, Be You

As a kid, I always wanted to be apart of the color of the cool kid group. I wanted to wear the latest trends and sing the latest songs, but something was always missing. I didn’t have the confidence to try new things! I didn’t know what it meant to be “confident”. I was always trying to be someone that I wasn’t . Until one day, my best friend Jessica asked me a simple question. How do you want to look? And that took me for a loop! I never stopped to think about how I wanted to look like, not what others wanted. So from that day on I dressed for myself and not others. That’s why I think parents should teach having confidence at an young age.
Dark Prince.
Tags: Confidence, Prince, Love, Darkness

You, out of nowhere, spread your wings,

You are a prince wished upon ruthless kings,

Words spread that you add meaning to life,

Women gathered to get a glimpse of your prize,

You, at the top, in their eyes. And at the bottom inside,

Powerful, you raised your hand and starting spilling words with pride,

I, the ruthless prince of the seventh realm kingdom,

Will feast among you in this village and feed you wisdom,

I, a tribe girl, fed up with endless nobility cocky lies,

Raised my voice and said begone with your empty words

You half smiled and time has stopped,

You never looked away, why do I feel robbed?

Such a strong feeling overwhelmed me while seeing you approaching,

How dare you speak to the noble, the beast within you growling,

I sighed while throwing profanities at your arrogance,

Why don’t you let go of your fears, you said with elegance.
How to approach the new year
By: Bulcha, The Charismatic Nerd
Tags: Self Improvement, Life Lessons, Self Development, Inspiration, Confidence

We’re just a couple of weeks away from the new year.

During this time of the year, I like going on social media as I get to see corny memes about ‘new year, new me.’

Almost every year, it’s the same memes getting thousands of likes and comments.

At times I wondered why people were so carried away with the ‘new year, new me’ posts. I can’t say I have the answer, but I think one of the reasons people love these memes is because they believe their life is one quick fix away from success.

I know it sounds crazy, but people look for quick fixes in business, love, friendships, etc. The most obvious one is get-rich-quick schemes, which still seems to find suckers all over the internet. Another annoying one is the dating industry, where dating coaches will promise fast results.

Photo by Andreas Dress on Unsplash

The fundamental problem with quick-fix solutions is that they focus on the results and not on the journey.

Whenever this is in place, people will jump from one quick fix to another.

And many people treat their new year resolutions with quick-fix solutions. And as February comes along, people will have dropped their new year resolutions, since the quick fixes didn’t get the results.

As the new year approaches, I want you to take some time to think about your journey.

Think about your journey in your social life, work, money, and love life.

Think about it all and ask yourself if you are enjoying the journey in each of those areas.

If the answer is no, it’s okay.

You just need to take a step back and ask yourself how can you enjoy the journey. Write down some solutions and make a very simple plan for implementing them.

To help get the brains going, I’ll give a couple of examples.

To enjoy the journey of a better social life, find a group that shares your interests or hobbies, and start attending regularly.

To enjoy the journey of a better love life, lay 5 bricks per day (some form of contact with the other sex), and start being a little bolder with each day.

To enjoy the journey of financial freedom, find a business project that you will be passionate about, and devote 30–60 min each day to it.

In all these cases, the result is not the main purpose.

The main purpose is to ensure you are enjoying the journey. And ironically enough, you’ll get all the results you’ve wanted and more.

So with your one shot at life, make the journey a worthwhile one.

(If you enjoyed this short article, then click here to join my email list where you get a daily boost of confidence every morning plus the free Self-Improvement Cheat Sheet for Nerds.)
4 Non-Verbal Communication Habits To Radiate Confidence When You Speak
By: Orestis Spanos
Tags: Self Improvement, Life, Relationships, Advice, Confidence

Imagine you are invited to a party you almost know no one. Three days earlier you already have started feeling anxious about what you’d wear so you make a good first impression. Luckily you found it — That magic shirt/dress that you look amazing in…You smile in your mirror, and you leave the house.

As soon as you have arrived, the host of the party gives you a warm welcome and he introduces you to his friends. Now you find yourself standing among dozens of strangers that you have just met. You are stifled, you feel a little embarrassed, you barely are smiling and you don’t know what to say. “ That clothe doesn’t help at all,” you think satirically.

In case you haven’t noticed, you didn’t arrive alone at the party. You brought an uninvited friend — Your anxiety; That frustrating emotion that always accompanies you when it comes to socializing.

Suddenly a person grabs your attention. He is chatting and laughing with everyone, in such a relaxed and cool manner. “There is no way, he is co-host or something” you presume. However, by the end of the night, you learn he was just an outside invited friend of the host, just like you.

“But how is this possible? How can I become that confident?”

Confidence is displayed by the way you speak, you move and you react — you can’t communicate you are confident. You can only sub-communicate it by some non-verbal features you hold when you interact with people.

According to Dr. Albert Mehrabia communication is approximately 90 percent matter of our nonverbal. If you want to communicate your self-esteem, I'm sorry but words won’t help you. Here are 4 non-verbal habits you should adopt when communicating that will make you stand out for your confidence.
God’s gift to all of us
By: Bulcha, The Charismatic Nerd
Tags: Self Improvement, Life Lessons, Self Development, Inspiration, Confidence

Don’t worry, I’m not going to get religious.

With that out of the way, I want to talk about the gift that all humans are given.

A gift that was given to us from the moment we were born.

But over time, we slowly forgot about this gift. And then eventually, we just completely forgot it.

Funny enough, this lost gift is what is needed in so many of our lives.

It’s needed to improve ourselves, to take risks, and most importantly, to be our true selves.

So what the heck is this gift?

Well, according to the book Fear of Life, it’s our capacity to change.

Too many of us go on living life thinking ‘this is it.’ The same job, friends, hobbies, routine, etc.

And in a lot of cases, the same neurotic behavior.

Yet, so many of us feel stuck in our ways. We can’t imagine ourselves to be more. And this is how our dreams start to perish.

But like I said, you have the gift. You have the capacity to change, but you need to start using it.

Photo by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash

Instead of falling into the same rut of routine, start challenging yourself to be better. Whether that’s seeing a therapist, standing up to an overbearing boss, quitting drugs/alcohol, etc.

You have the capabilities to be better.

Don’t fool yourself in thinking that you can’t change, because you can.

It requires the acceptance that you can change and the resolve to make it so. If you think I’m being way too optimistic, I can bring you examples of people who capitalized on their capacity to change.

We have Genghis Khan, where his family was disgraced and lived in poverty. But changed to be the first Mongol to unite all the Mongol tribes and create a fearless world empire.

We have Lil Baby, the rapper, who took part in petty crime and went to jail. But changed to be someone of value and has gone on to have record-breaking music in 2020.

I’m sure you can think of some more examples yourself, but you get the idea.

Everyone has the capacity to change.

Some will use it to build better lives.

And the rest will let that capacity disappear.

We have a new year coming our way, so use the time to think about how you can change and what areas of your life you can improve.

And soon enough, you will join the great list of humans who were able to change for the better.

(If you enjoyed this short article, then click here to join my email list where you get a daily boost of confidence every morning plus the free Self-Improvement Cheat Sheet for Nerds.)
When you feel like there is no escape, you are completely right.
By: Hayley Barron
Tags: Self Worth, Religion, Motivation, Blessings, Confidence

When you feel like there is no escape, you are completely right. You have to face it. The truth. It is scary and intimidating, yes, but you can handle it. God does not put you through things you cannot handle. Know your worth. Seek blessings. Be grateful. Get excited. You have to walk in faith because without it… there is nothing; No purpose, no drive, no true happiness. Change your actions, change your thinking, make goals, and focus on what you can change. Change is growth. Do not let the enemy hold you from becoming the best you. Once you start focusing on what you have no control over you get lost in the lies, distractions, and the devil’s stir of the pot. The devil is working overtime to try to keep you depressed. Chose your distractions wisely. Close doors that no longer serve you so God can open doors that will help you prosper.