Hey, guys! It’s been awhile! It took me a long time to figure out what I would write about this time. Someone suggested I write about the snow days we had, and all the school we missed, but that would have been a real short article. It would have gone something like … “It was cold as heck… we missed lots of school, and I think I speak for kids everywhere: we were happy happy!” That about sums it up for us kids. So, I decided to write about something else, something just about everyone, kids and adults, struggles with: CONFIDENCE.
Now, if you’ve been with me since day one, you may remember that my very first “Think ‘Bout It” article was about being comfortable and proud to be yourself, which is a big part of confidence. But what else does confidence mean? Some words we hear all the time, and think we know what they mean, but really don’t know the details. So, I decided to look it up. On my phone, of course. According to Wolfram Alpha (where Siri on the iPhone gets her information), confidence means “freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities.” Being confident means you believe in who you are and what you can do, and are proud of yourself for these reasons.
Easier said than done though, because I know, as a kid, as I am getting older, everything seems to be more important than it was before, and sometimes I doubt myself and see flaws I didn’t see before. If you’re in middle school or high school, then maybe you can relate to what a big deal it is to look good every day, and try to dress to impress. Your hair, clothes, shoes, etc., have to be on point, right? It can be a lot of pressure, because if you aren’t at your best, someone is going to talk about you and say something that challenges the confidence you are trying to keep at a high level. But, what I realize is that someone is ALWAYS going to have something to say. All you have to do is be the best you can be inside and out with the resources you have, and remember that confidence is what makes you look really good anyway. You might have heard that saying, “Confidence is the best thing you can wear.” Well, that’s true.
Learn to love yourself no matter how hard it may be at first. You may have experienced some negative things that make it harder for you to believe you are awesome, but just choose to believe you are, if for no other reason than because everything God made is awesome!
Keep your head up…no feeling sorry for yourself, the days ahead are bright!
Thank you, guys, for taking the time to read this! In closing, check out the poem I found on the internet by a girl who calls herself “I am Ashley”.
Perfectly Flawed
Who is perfect?
Certainly not you…nor I…
So why do we strive to be something so impossible to reach…
Accept who you are.
Learn to love each and every “flaw”
No matter what others might think
You are special in every way
No one can say I’ve achieved total perfection.
What the heck is that anyway?
Who really cares whether you are big or small?
Have ten toes or maybe none at all…
We all come in different shapes and sizes.
It’s what’s inside that truly counts after all.
Just love yourself for who you are…
Your true beauty lies within.
Appearance may catch the eye of another, but it’s what’s in your heart that really reels them in.
– Ashley @ http://allpoetry.com/I_am_Ashley
Just Think ‘Bout It!