We should all be 4 year olds

My hiatus is over!

So, initially, the title of this article was supposed to be "we should all be scammers". Have you seen the amount of confidence in those emails or the amount of work that goes into an elaborate love scam? Those individuals have zero concept of imposter syndrome; they will be who they need to be in that moment, even if it is really not their space! But we are not taking lessons from scammers today!

Let's imagine we have two classes, one filled with adults and one with 4-year-olds. I pose a challenge: "does anyone want to try out stand-up comedy in front of everybody?". I imagine I would have someone who has probably tried improv on the adult's side, but outside of that, meh. No, the 4-year-old class, I can bet anyone that many of them would "want to have a go at it". They don't really care if they are good at it or not. What's important is that they get to have a go at it, and even if they were not good, they would boast about how they got a chance to do it!

Approaching life and opportunities with this kind of confidence and appreciating that we get the chance anyway. My little hiatus from my blog and meeting Dr Afternoon Tea has given me a new outlook on confidence, and how to approach opportunities and challenges. I've been digging about on the internet and, through various interactions how I can have the confidence of a 4-year-old, so I made a list.

Its important to know what you want to be confident that you deserve what you want. One of the most important things to get that confidence is clarity. You cannot attain what you cannot explain. I believe there is power in nurturing that vision of what I want for myself. It gives a sense of direction and understanding. Personally, I like to write things down, or to draw it. It helps me to visualise it.

In 4 year old fashion, you've gotta tap into that courage. Exercise to go after what you want even if it scares you. You've got yourself to count on. To level up and achieve unstoppable confidence, you must get out there in the game of life and dream, explore, and discover. Don't limit yourself if you're afraid; do it because you're afraid. Doing things that scare you will build confidence all on its own.

One of my mantras overtime has been "pick a theme and commit". This has applied to almost everything in my life… how well it works? I think 85%. But anyway, when building self-confidence, you must stay committed to yourself and trust the process. Make a vow to yourself to love you first. Self-love is like any other great love; it's a commitment to put yourself before anyone else. When you use this confidence formula, you will marry yourself to true confidence because confidence isn't something some of us are born with; it's something we're all entitled to.

I believe I am one of the spokespeople for 'finding your tribe".. I have an article somewhere here. When we are surrounded by like-minded people who are happy to have a go at life (i chuckle everytime i write this), we aren't so afraid. A few weeks ago I was struggling to draw inspiration from my environment, and my creative side started to suffer a little bit. After one fateful day at brunch, i came home and hopped on some calls with friends scattered across the globe. I felt so recharged and found that i was ready to go at things again. Surrounding yourself with likeminded people can be such a confidence boost.

Okay, okay, one more. Stepping outside your comfort zone can be a little uncomfortable to say the least, but it can make a huge difference in how you feel about yourself. Try something new that you're scared to try, whether offering to take over my blog for a week, starting stand up, or going to a networking event on your own, sending that portfolio to publication. The good news is that you don't have to be good at whatever new thing you're doing to boost self-esteem. In fact, you probably won't be good. The confidence comes when you keep showing up, even when you're not good at it. It will teach you to feel comfortable in uncomfortable situations and accomplished in trying something new.

I promise, I am summing this up. Now, i do know that this concept of confidence is not some fluffy, idealistic principle your Girl Scout leader used to talk about. Still, it's the most powerful, tangible thing you can cultivate to achieve your desired life. Although we cant be 4 year old's again, I am sure we can take a page out of their books on confidence and how to approach old and new things, familiar and unfamiliar…