You get to think about you however you want to.
What you think about yourself, or your opinion of yourself plays into your self-confidence.
Self-confidence is a feeling about self. A self-confident person thinks they are strong, competent, worthy, and valuable. Not because of anything they say, do or others think about them. It is just because God made them. PERIOD.
God has written over 360 verses about who we are. I love seeing His exact words about me. He says things like you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are able, and adequate. You are blameless and blessed. He also says we are cherished, chosen and cleansed.
But we think thoughts like we aren’t good enough. We are a mess. We are wrecked or damaged. We aren’t made well we would actually like to tell Him how to make us a bit better. “God couldn’t we have different hair, maybe different skin, different genetics so we wouldn’t be so heavy…” We think we should be better. God thinks we are unblemished and qualified.
I recently visited an art gallery in Bentonville, Arkansas and every single piece of art made me think about the artist. I was blown away that right there in front of me was something they created with their mind. They thought it and then created it. I was in awe of their choice of color, their technique and skills. I stood their staring and was overcome with beauty. That got me thinking about how I look at myself in the mirror. How I look at the art created by God. My brain is wired to find every flaw, imperfection, and problem I have. So I am drawn to the gray hair, wrinkles, and teeth that are out of place. When I stood in front of the art in Arkansas, I don’t think I caught anything wrong at all. I was free to enjoy the beauty right in front of me. I thought amazing thoughts about it all. But it got me thinking I don’t know if I am enjoying the art that God created and I get to look at and think about daily. I don’t know if I am thinking amazing thoughts about me and the woman God made me to be. I wonder if I am actually believing each and every thing that God spoke over me when He created me. He said you are treasured and upright, valuable, and worthy.
I used to think that was up for debate and the jury was the people. Now I know it doesn’t matter what other people think. It matters what I think and I am in total control of those thoughts.
Too many of us do not believe Him at His word.
We are either believing what other people say about us or we are coming up with our own ideas of who we are.
I’m just anxious.
I am not good enough, see.
She told me I wasn’t cut out for this.
He said I was dumb.
Oh, I know I am critical I am just made that way.
She is so much prettier than I am, I will never get any guy to like me.
I have a hard time loving people like that, it’s just how I am.
I am always late, that just in my DNA.
I won’t ever make a real difference, I figured that out long ago.
My family has always been like that, so I will too.
These are thoughts that you think about yourself and they are your definition of you. But they become your self-confidence or your self-doubt.
Often when I am working with someone on their self-confidence they will fear becoming arrogant or coming across better than. Arrogance is thinking you are better than someone else and then trying to prove it. Arrogance actually comes from a place of creating false self-confidence by trying to put others down. Arrogance works by trying to raise your opinion of yourself by comparing yourself with others. Often instead of building yourself up, you actually are putting others down. Arrogance typically comes from a lack of self-confidence. Self-confidence, when genuine, understands that ALL HUMANS are awesome and capable. All humans are 100% worthy, valuable and lovable not because of what they do or have. They just are, because God made them that way.
Knowing that everyone is 100% valuable, worthy and lovable allows everyone to know they are amazing and exactly as God says they are.
If you really believe you were 100% what would that do for you?
If you decided today who you were, than anything you tried to do wouldn’t be about you. If you failed, it is not about you. If you succeeded, it is not about you. You have been decided. Your thoughts about you are not on the table to be re-decided all of the time. You have decided to focus your thoughts on ones that build confidence not doubt.
Take all of the thoughts that create doubt and understand that those don’t really serve you to becoming who you truly want to be or who God created you to be.
Listen the world needs you to be you to it. But if you are over here making every single thing about whether you are good enough, or people like you, or you are accepted or chosen or valuable. You are wasting your time and energy on something that can be decided right now.
If you decided today what thoughts you were going to choose to think about yourself, what would you choose to think?
I like thoughts like:
I am amazing.
He created me and loves every part of me, so can I.
I was made for this.
What other people think of me is 100% about them.
What I think about me is 100% me.
My potential is limitless.
I have my own back no matter what.
I am capable.
God decided my worth and I am 100% worthy of love including my own love.
I am not less than or not enough. I am enough.
These are available to you too! I hope you start believing them.
Walking right beside ya,
Angie
