Over the last few weeks I’ve been asked to present to groups of Year 9-12 girls. The conversations embraced what Confidence means, what it doesn’t mean, bullying, social media and everything in-between.
The conversations were interactive, lively, enlightening and at times brutally honest, particularly around bullying. There were an alarming number of girls who had been bullied at previous schools; when they reported it to parents, teachers and/or police they were ignored. That fact alone is terribly sad and totally unacceptable.
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All of the topics we discussed were as equally relevant to adults as they were to teenagers. With that in mind, I’ve decided to share some of them with you. Follow these five steps and you will never wonder if you are living an authentic life, because you will be.
Passion
Put as much enthusiasm as you can into everything you do. Do things you are passionate about and surround yourselves with others who are passionate about what they do. The whole fabric of your life will change when you find something you love doing. But always remember “Follow your heart but take your brain with you”.
Bullying
“The greatest tragedy in life is when good people look the other way”.
If you see someone being bullied, do something about it – do not look the other way. People being bullied rarely like to draw more attention to themselves. Step in, report it, do whatever needs to be done and don’t let the issue go until it’s dealt with.
Social Media
“When emotions are high, intelligence is low”.
If you are having a bad day, step away from the computer! With over 55% of employers checking Facebook sites before they decide to interview you, your reputation may depend on that one smart decision not to go online.
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Decision Making
Ben Roberts-Smith recently said, “Make the right decision because it’s right, not because it’s easy”.
There are many ways you can come to a decision, you weigh up the pros and cons, ask people their opinion and probably do research but in the end there is no doubt your gut-feel will always tell you what the right decision is to make. Ensure you don’t block out your inner-voice wisdom when making decisions.
Walking Your Talk
“What you do speaks so loudly, I can hardly hear what you’re saying”.
Above everything else, you need to walk your talk. Ultimately this is how you are judged. Remember a promise is a promise no matter who it is to – your family, partner, friend, colleague, employer. It is this level of integrity which increases self-confidence levels instantly.
I encourage you to look at your life through the eyes of others to gauge how they perceive you in each of these areas. Then decide if you need to make any changes.
photo credit: greekadman via photopin cc
Glenise Anderson
Glenise is the Chief Confidence Chick at Self Confident Women, a personal development company helping women around the world create a better life. She is also the Director of SR Group, a training and development consultancy assisting corporate companies with coaching, behavioural profiling, training and technical writing.
