There are always times that I’ve struggled with confidence throughout my life, from my body, to how smart I am, how I’m perceived (my status), to the business choices I make. Each moment or thought of insecurity felt “normal” and all part of the human and female experience. With the majority of these insecurities, I either overcame through mindset shifts, worked on myself (or body), and through more education and learning. Some insecurities stay with me, popping up at moments, usually when I’m nervous or trying something new. Up until a few years ago, none of these moments of lack of confidence have taken me out so far that it made me reconsider all my life choices, spinning me out and stalling my progress.
Then, over the past few years, I faced some personal and professional moments that deeply shook my confidence. I started questioning everything—who I was, my abilities, and my path forward. These experiences led me to re-examine what confidence truly means and where it should come from.
I was having difficulty understanding why these moments of insecurity took me out so hard. I had considered myself someone who was a strong, highly educated, woman who had invested so much of my time in personal and professional development. I.e. How can I have an identity crisis? I thought, “I've spent my time, energy, money and others’ time, energy and money on the idea that I am a confident leader and business owner, who helps others be the best leaders and business owners. I’m not supposed to have a crisis, I’m supposed to help other people through their crisis! So much of who I thought I was was based on my ego, not true self-confidence.
I had to rebuild my confidence from the inside out, realizing that just being outwardly confident was not authentic, I had to believe it in my core. So I did what has worked for me in the past, I did research, listened, learned, hired an amazing coach, and started to be honest with myself in the areas that I knew needed to shift so that I could continue to move forward in my life with courage. I learned that confidence doesn't just impact how I feel about myself, it impacts the type of leader I am, how I run my business, and the types of risks I’m willing to take. It encompasses every part of my life.
Today, I still have moments of doubt or uncertainty (again, totally normal), but I feel at peace with who I am, I am confident in my values, purpose, and impact. When moments of fear arise, I can review them honestly, I know the skills that I need to build, I know my strengths and areas of improvement, I can see the path forward clearly, even when I’m stressed. Again, anxiety, doubts, and fear still have their moments, but they don’t take me out like they used to. Understanding how to build my confidence has been transformational.
I love this program because I lived it first. I understand the devastation that can take place when our confidence is based on the opinions or values of others. Where momentary lapses or breaks in our identity leave us feeling scared, unwilling to be truthful with ourselves, feeling at a loss for the next steps, and living in fear and anxiety. Through finding my own “rooting” and true self-love, I can identify when my confidence is waning, I have tools to activate new confidence, and truly understand that I am my only person, and that to lead others well, I have to first lead myself.
I hope that Rooted bring you peace, fearlessness, and a courageous mindset to be honest with yourself and those around you so that we can all live in a space of true purpose and true, authentic, confidence.
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