5 Million Minus 1

Confidence

"There were always in me, two women, at least, one woman desperate and bewildered, who felt she was drowning and another who would leap into a scene, as upon a stage, conceal her true emotions because they were weakness, helplessness, despair, and present to the world only a smile, an eagerness, curiosity, enthusiasm, interest..." 

 ~Anais Nin

After a discussion about work related activities, another co-worker told me that she thought I was very confident, had it all together....  I audibly laughed.  That is the absolute last thing I think of when I think of myself.  But I think we are all like this....we often do not see things ourselves that others may see.  As women, especially, I think we struggle with feelings of adequacy in multiple areas of life....as a wife, co-worker, friend, mother, daughter, sister, Christian....you name it.. So feeling confident is the last thing we think when we think of ourselves.  I don't have much insightfullness to add, just the quote above and the one below...they speak more than my words can.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~excerpt from a Nelso Mandela speech