TOW: Self-Confidence

Over the past month, I've had a lot of time to sit and think about myself, and where I'm going in life (as usual, eh heh) and I've been thinking about how much easier it was to be 'myself' back in the day.  I remember being a confident, somewhat popular, somewhat interesting person in university, and being able to run into practically any single person I wanted to on campus or around town.  I didn't have enemies, and I was a pretty happy guy.

Now, fast forward about 4-6 years, and here I am in 'the big city.'  It's not as easy to be self-confident, or believe in yourself when times are hard, or heck, simply ask for what you want for fear of rejection, at times.

Self-confidence comes from the feeling that there are things in our lives that we are proud of, activities and events that shape us and make us who we are.  It is the ability to express who you want to be and accomplish what you believe in.  And, it is something that we work on, every day.

I can't say that I have been a really confident person since moving to Toronto (but then again, I've been stepped on more than a couple times since I got here) but I have managed to maintain at least part of the best parts of my personality, at times, and for that I'm happy.

As I move forward in life, as we all move forward, it's important to find those sources of happiness and self-confidence that never run out, the ones that will keep us going throughout the thick and thin.  Because it was easy for me to be a confident, interesting person when I was young, bright, with no student debt, a vehicle, living rent-free at my parents house with nary a care in the world.  It's much harder to be confident, happy and 'with-it' when you are straddled with a majority of middle-class and lower middle class complaints like debt, poverty, bad health and no money for doctors/dentists, etc.

Self-confidence can have external sources, but real confidence, and real drive, comes from within, and spending time with yourself, and learning to like yourself again.  You can only really be a confident person if you don't care what other people think, and aren't afraid to make mistakes.  Learn to be happy with yourself, and what you do, so that you can forge ahead and be the best you can, versus being the best you can...afraid.