Beware of confidence thieves. They are everywhere and take on a legion of forms and disguises. It is not obvious when your confidence is being attacked. You often don’t even realize that it is happening. No one is really aware of their confidence level. That is what makes confidence leeches so pernicious. It is a little like high blood pressure. You don’t know you have it. But it will get you all the same. That is perhaps why they call it the silent killer.
There is such a thing as too much confidence. That will also get you killed. Thrill-seekers are a group that has too much confidence and not nearly enough caution. It is not entirely their fault. There are good physical reasons why young people feel immortal. The part of their brain that enables judgement and processes confidence is not fully formed. They know that drinking and driving is dangerous. But they don’t really know it because they can’t.
But you are not exactly a kid anymore and you are all too aware of the multiplicity of things that can go wrong. Perhaps the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction and you find yourself second-guessing everything you do. Your justified confidence has been stolen from you. Here are a few possible culprits, and what you can do about them:
Your Rebellious Body
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could tame your bodily functions with no prescription, no side effects, and hormone-free supplements? The good news is that this scenario is a reality with menopause supplements. Not all supplements are equal. And no women’s menopause is exactly the same as anothers. Not every treatment will work for every person in exactly the same way.
While you can’t say “menopause” without “men”, it is clear that men have no idea what you are going through. If your boss happens to be a man, you might lose confidence because you are going through something that cannot be fully explained by you or fully understood by them. It could be any number of things such as that time of the month, or a migraine, or diarrhea, or… You get the idea. When you don’t feel like yourself, your body language changes. Your eye-contact waivers. And your mind wanders. Find the supplements that keep you feeling like yourself and stay at the top of your game.
Body Image
A very famous clothier used to say, “You’re going to love the way you look!” Of course, this was his way of letting you know that you needed a new suit from his store. The real message is that men have almost as many body image concerns as women. Building the confidence you need to ace your next job interview starts with building confidence in the way you look.
Don’t listen to the nay-sayers. If you really think blonds have more fun, go blond and have the time of your life. If you believe you are socially limited by your wardrobe, by all means, go shopping and live life without limits. And if you really believe that the not-so-beauty mark is keeping you from closing sales, see a doctor and have it removed, along with any other attributes that are stealing your confidence.
Toxic Relationships
One of the worst confidence thieves around is the person you think is a friend but is really just making you miserable and leaching your confidence. It could be a domineering partner. It could be a parent who is still making you feel like a small child. It could be a university professor who makes you feel like you are wrong about everything. It could be a preacher who knows nothing but condemnation. Toxic relations wear many faces. Don’t be surprised if one of those faces is worn by someone in your inner-circle.
It is hard enough to maintain your confidence on a good day when everything is going your way. You have to work extra hard to maintain it when your body is rebelling, your appearance is not what you want it to be, and your closest companions are also the worst offenders. Do what it takes to protect your confidence from all that would leach it away.