Confidence

By Japji

People are everywhere, and an introvert like me doesn’t exactly feel comfortable having to interact with them daily. Seeing them at school, the mall, the library, swimming class, and literally everywhere else.

I’m not a self-centred kid, but I always feel like people are judging me for the way I look or the clothes I wear; are my shorts too tight for my body type? I feel like they judge me for the way I act; do they think I have anxiety issues? Maybe they think I'm a shy freak? Are they noticing my insecurities? Are my arms and legs shaved properly? Do they hate people from my background?

The truth is that nobody is born with confidence; people grow into it. Confidence doesn’t mean going out on the streets and dancing across the road with your headphones on. Rather, it means being comfortable. To be comfortable in your own skin.

Now there are two ways to do it. First, you can choose to be confident. Wake up and decide, “Hm, I only live this life once, so I am going to live it to my fullest.” Now, you don’t have to be super outgoing; you just need to ignore potential judges in society and walk around free from your mind. Free from the fear of judgment. Confidence isn’t about the way you act; it's about the way you think. Once you relax that mind, change its way of thinking for the greater good and start living the way you want to, then you are free. 

Second, you can learn to be confident over time. Personally, I dislike trying new activities because of having to see people at classes, but there's so much I want to do. So I force myself to do it. To learn swimming, I booked my classes, got myself a swimsuit and showed up. Don't think; if you want it, just do it. I focused on myself, I focused on the present moment, and I focused on growing as a person. Soon, the anxiety of going to swimming class went away, and  I was comfortable with myself. This is how you can learn to be more confident: by staying in the present and being focused on yourself. You’ll start to feel more confident, freer and develop a changed mindset which can be used anywhere else for your benefit. 

Be the person you want to be. Force yourself to just do it, you only live once, so live life to your fullest potential. It all starts now.