Jeni+E’s+2016+OpEd+Article

We know it when we see. We want some of it. We hate people who have it. The fashion magazines distort and destroy it.

Confidence the IT thing.

One of the most attractive things about a person is confidence. When a confident person walks in the room you can feel and sense it. People hate it because they envy it and want some of it.

Confidence is the underlying foundation of beauty and success. Own it and be sure of yourself.

Let it be the reason why you are not ashamed or embarrassed of who you are. Gift the world with your greatness, let your true self shine. Not everyone will agree with you, but the people who appreciate who you are and what you have to offer are the ones worth having as friends. They should build you up, not tear you down.

One of the biggest killers of confidence is comparison. It creates dissatisfaction and harvests insecurity. Comparison will set up a life of striving and in the end leave a big pit of emptiness and disappointment.

STOP doing it.

School is a prime area for the comparison. I am guilty of this. I compare my grades and my success to my peers and friends. It robs me of my confidence and steals my joy. It is a terrible thing to do. It also withholds me from finding success.

Magazines are another constant source of comparison. Screeching headlines such as “Shed two sizes” or “Ordinary to Extraordinary in Ten Minutes”, and of course those notorious magazine covers that promote a distorted self body image featuring scantily clad, photoshopped, underweight women. They plant a seed of insecurity in our minds, we are not pretty enough, skinny enough or fit enough. We do not have the right clothes, trendy cars, or gadgets. It is a dirty way of making money, shame on them.

Be wise, keep your confidence, and don’t fall into the comparison trap.

You are a wonderful and beautiful human being. You are one of a kind with unique experiences that will mold and shape your future. Not everyone's f uture plans are the same, but I know that all of them will be great. Be confident in who you are.