Rain & Confidence

Have you ever had those moments where you think it'll NEVER STOP RAINING?

Well that's the moment that I'm having right now...I don't think that I've ever seen during summer where there was a chance of a shower every. single. day. Even if it was 20%, 10%, or any other percent chance of rain! It's been raining almost every afternoon or night for about a week now here. Of course the rain is good for keeping the grass green and plants hydrated, but after awhile there is only so much rain one person can take in any given time. I should be thankful that we aren't out west where there is wildfires going on, but that's a little difficult when you just want to see the sun stay out longer than five minutes!

On another note, I've been reading into confidence lately and boy has my perspective on it changed. Now I'm not saying that I have gained confidence, but I have come to the conclusion that thinking you have confidence and actually having confidence are completely two different things. For most of my life, I felt that compared to other people that I had confidence just like them if not slightly more. However, recently I have noticed an over abundance of people who just shine with confidence and you can see it in the way they talk, act, and present themselves. For instance, I know someone (who I won't mention just yet, but I'm sure in future blogs that I will) who started a business when she was finishing up college and about to enter a full time, sitting behind the computer all day, pretty big money maker job. However, she ended up changing her direction and building her company instead. She posts videos on YouTube every once in awhile, but what really caught my eye is how her confidence has soared since she began her journey.

Looking back at her first video that she made on her channel, you see this young woman who's about to get married, straight out of college, and excited about her journey in this new business. She seems slightly shy, she isn't overly dressed, and talks a tad bit quietly. Flash forward to the next year or so, she seems happier, more cheery, and she's gaining confidence. Flash forward even further to another year, everything has changed. She's outspoken, bright smile on her face, cute dressy clothes, fun jewelry, and becoming (if not already) one of the BEST leaders I have ever known. She did all of this while building her business. In the face of any risks, downsides, and falls she has risen to the challenge. She's overcome a lot of no's, confidence busters, and much more to get here. I just love watching her grow and be the leader that she is now. Not only has she become the ultimate definition (at least in my book) of someone with confidence, the people that she's helped start their own businesses as well, have grown just like she has! It's quite the amazing journey!

People like her I look up to. She might be younger than me, but she makes me want to build my confidence too. Seeing her do what she has done in the past few years has been nothing short of amazing. I feel like everything I say about her is an understatement. I really hope that everyone out there has someone like her that they look up to. 

I say all of this because I want you all to know something that I just figured out, even though I already knew it deep down. Confidence isn't something you just attain, it's a journey. Confidence doesn't just happen overnight, it is many years of hard work, and stretching yourself beyond your comfort zone. Who really wants to "warm chat" someone when they are out shopping? No one really WANTS to, but if you want to overcome that fear, go out there and DO IT! No one likes to get "No's" from people, but all those "no's" lead to more "yes's" in the future. They aren't holding you back, only you are holding yourself back. You can build up to gaining confidence over time. Just because you aren't seeing it happen immediately, you can become who you truly want to be and get anywhere in life by living beyond your comfort zone.