FEBRUARY 2ND 2018
LADY IN RED
FASHION
Cayo Coco, CUBA.
They say that the most beautiful thing a woman can wear is a smile; I say there's another layer to that saying. When a woman smiles what's going on inside her mind? While some may answer that perhaps she's just having a good day, I say that her smile may very well be linked to a feeling of inner confidence.
Beauty is subjective and everyone differs in their opinion of what makes a person beautiful, however speaking for myself, Confidence is ranked number one on my list of things that make a woman attractive and beautiful.
....That being said, a bright red dress never hurt anyone's confidence either...
This week I'm sharing another great fashion find that I picked up for my Cuban vacation. I found this red dress at my favourite local consignment shop and it just so happened that I had credit on my account at the time so I got it for free! **along with the white dress from last week's post. Score!!**
In fact all three outfit posts from my trip (one more next week) are thrifted finds as part of my attempt to inspire you to think outside the box when you're shopping for your winter getaway; or any other special occasion for that matter. The best part is it's so easy on the wallet and, as I hope you agree, you'd never guess that this dress is second-hand.
Thrifting is actually one of the things that sparks inner feelings of confidence in me. It's a skill that I've acquired over the years and every time I get compliments on my outfits, it's like a little shot of confidence, continually building me up.
My wish for every girl/woman is an unshakable sense of self-confidence. Over the years I have grown immensely in this area but as with all things worth cultivating, it's still a work in progress. Practice makes perfect and with each passing year my self-doubt and moments of negative self-esteem lessens exponentially. I have to say it's a very freeing feeling!
With the written portion of this blog I stick to talking about what I know from my own personal experiences so similar to last week, I'm going to provide you with some tips to help boost your self-confidence.
"The most beautiful thing you can wear is CONFIDENCE."
- Blake Lively
Keep in mind; sometimes true confidence has to start with the mindset of "FAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT." Not everyone was born brimming with confidence - actually very few really - are but it can be learned. In this case I say fake it until you BECOME it if you have to! Think of Confidence like a muscle: the more you use it the stronger it becomes!
On that note here are some exercises that will help build your self confidence.
TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR APPEARANCE.
By this I don't mean Kim K full face contouring, ball gowns, or Manolo's... just some basic grooming. Put a little bit of effort into making yourself look nice. Granted not everyone feels the same but generally, if you think you look nice, chances are you're going to feel good too.
STRAIGHTEN UP.
Slouching not only gives off the appearance of low confidence it also makes you feel "blah." Have you ever become self conscious of your bad posture and adjusted to a more refined body position? How much better to you feel?! It sounds silly but something as simple as sitting up straight instantly makes you feel more confident. There is a HUGE correlation between body language and its impact on who you are and how you think about yourself...but I'll save that for another time.
SET GOALS. Even if they're small, set specific goals and achieve them. Each time you reach a goal your confidence grows little by little until you're able to overcome and achieve things you never would've dreamed possible.
VISUALIZE.
Be positive. Set yourself up for success in your mind. Whether you visualize achieving a goal, the person you one day want to become, or a positive outcome to that difficult conversation you've been dreading, your imagination can take you farther than you think! Professional athletes are known for employing this technique with results that yield all the proof you could possibly need.
LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE.
Do something that makes you uncomfortable. Face your fears. The better you get at navigating difficult situations successfully, the easier it will become and the more self- assured you will be. Also life is full of uncomfortable moments and situations. The faster you learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, the easier and less stressful your life will become (as far as it depends upon you).
SMILE. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Whether smiling is the result of inner confidence or the act of smiling itself improves confidence, try to do it as frequently as possible throughout the day.
CHERISH COMPLIMENTS.
When someone gives you a compliment put it in your memory bank of positive associations about yourself. Recalling positive things that people have said to you or about you will always help with boosting confidence.
CHAT WITH YOUR BESTIE.
We all have that one friend who thinks we are totally AWESOME! Spend time with this person and feed off of their encouragement, support, and flattery.
JAM OUT.
Listen to your favourite music. Not only will this improve your mood but, (especially when combined with dancing), it helps melt fears, and relieve stress and anxiety.
SNAP A SELFIE.
Look I get it, selfies often have a negative association but that being said, taking a flattering picture of yourself can be a real confidence booster. You don't even have to share it, just keep it for yourself to look at when you're having a bad day. Not gunna lie, sometimes if I'm having an "obsess over every little flaw" kind of day, I'll make a point of going through my Instagram feed and focusing on the pictures of myself that I like. Ten times out of ten the negative thoughts disappear and I'm once again thankful for the flaws that make me unique.
Give these methods a try and let me know if they work for you! As always you can reach me through any of my social media accounts, the comments below, or send me an email vanessa_miller@live.ca.
Be confident! xo
