why confidence matters.

When you meet someone for the first time, what are the things you can't help but notice right away? Their smile? Their outfit? Their speech pattern? Their strut?

Whether this person is a potential employee, a promising love interest, a friend-of-a-friend, or anyone in between, you can tell nearly instantly what type of confidence they are radiating. Are they bubbly, smiling, and maintaining eye contact with you? Or are they staring at their feet, slumped over, and barely able to maintain conversation for 30 seconds? And what immense weight that initial meeting carries on your impression of that new person!

Having confidence is about believing in yourself and your worth. Being comfortable in your skin; whether you feel like you could afford to loose a few pounds, wish you had a whiter smile, or are a little insecure about your height. What you may see as flaws, others may see as beautiful. And what others see as flaws, you may see as beautiful. Embracing yourself for who you are can be one of the hardest challenges you'll ever face. Some of us spend our entire lives wishing we were something or someone different. Meanwhile, others come to terms with every single part of themselves, and appreciate flaws and perfections for what they are. In your lifetime, you will come across people who are confident despite the fact that societal norms say they are overweight, could use a nose job, or are handicapped. Confidence is often about defying society's standard for beauty; whether internal or external.

Just a quick search online will tell a story far deeper than you could possibly imagine. Statistics about what America's ideals of weight, height, and skin tone are. Ideals about eye color, facial features, sexual orientation, creed, and personality traits. What happens when we take a look at the real picture? If we were to take the population and pull the people out that fit the mold for "beauty," we'd see why so many men and women these days struggle with issues of self-confidence and self-esteem. Of course, some say society as a whole has come a long way in accepting and altering their idea of beauty. And that may be true. I think it's safe to say we still have a long way to go; but it has to begin somewhere. And that somewhere is within each of us. Next time you walk into a room, stand up straight and smile. Wear something that makes you feel good. Talk about your passions. Set goals and strive to reach them. Believe in yourself and your worth. Stand for something. Create a positive environment for the people around you. Defy others standards and write your own. The ways of changing your life for the better are endless, and it all comes back to one thing; you. Be confident in yourself and good things will come your way.