Proud. Confident. You.

Growing up and still to this day my parents have always had my back. They have always encouraged me, supported me, and instilled the confidence I carry with me each day I step outside. I have come to realize lately that not everyone has had a similar upbringing with such positive role models and they miss out on the time to discover who they truly are deep down, to their core and have the confidence to show it.

Teaching fitness classes has also taught me a lot about confidence and the way females are affected every day. The participants vary every day in my classes and often times I see this lack of confidence.  Why is this? I feel that society has put pressure on people to look certain ways, dress in a particular style, and participate in a specific set of activities.  I am also beginning to realize that the household we grow up in can play a major role too.  I remember being harder on myself than my parents were and wondering how the heck they weren’t disappointed in me sometimes with the marks I got in school or in the way I was behaving.  In hindsight, they were trying to build me up.  I admittedly am a perfectionist and I know they too realized that at a young age.  I was harder on myself and so my parents had to be there to remind me that, although I may be disappointed, I was never a failure.  Thanks Mom and Dad- today I am the confident woman I am only because of how you parented and raised me.

As a fitness instructor and fellow female myself, I am working on making it my duty to notice these hard workers and acknowledging them.  Ladies, we need to remember to lift each other up because everyone, no matter how they may appear on the outside, could use a little affirmation that they are on the right track and are important.  As parents, let’s not only support our girls but boys too, and teach our children to be confident in whatever they do, wherever they go and whoever they are with. 

Females in particular must learn to accept the compliments they receive and not deflect.  All too often if we aren’t used to being praised we try to brush it off, question the person’s positive remarks towards us and deny it.  Embrace it! Appreciate the fact that someone noticed your hard work, dedication, and success and be proud.  We are allowed to succeed and kill it in whatever it is we are trying to do! Forget about what others might say and do you.  

Life may lead us in many different directions but if we choose to go with confidence we will be able to accomplish whatever it is we wish to do.  The power is within us to wake up every day and be better, dream higher, and succeed.  Tomorrow when you wake up, you decide.

*Self-confidence is a topic extremely important to me. Watch out for more posts regarding this issue later on.

Be fierce. Be strong. Be vibrant.

Rachel

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