Confident You!

I read an interesting quote from Nancy dell’Olio in an article in The Independent at the weekend. She said “Since I was a little child in Italy, people have looked at me, and not just because I’m beautiful; it’s something that comes from inside me. I know I’m fascinating…I’m a very loved person.” How fantastic to be that sure of yourself – even if most of us would feel a bit uncomfortable about saying it.

I am teaching a course at Parkside College in Cambridge which is called Confident You. One of the first things that I teach the class is that confident people love and understand themselves. They know their strengths and their weaknesses and are prepared to forgive themselves for the latter while they look for opportunities to develop.

To increase your self-esteem and your confidence, it is important to stop putting yourself down and acknowledge the good things about yourself. A good exercise recommended by Gael Lindenfield (Super Confidence, 1989) is to write an advert to advertise the real you for a personal column or as a letter to a company that might employ you. You must tell the truth and present yourself in the most positive light. You might even design a logo to represent you. You could include compliments and comments from friends. If you find this difficult ask a friend to help you – our friends are less critical of us than we are to ourselves.

So go on, boast about all the good things about you – and enjoy it