Self-Confidence: What does it take to love yourself?

What the hell is self-confidence? Surely, it can't be defined. Not really. It's a mental state, and so is different to all of us. For me, it's the realisation that I am who I want to be. I'm happy with the person I've become, and I feel like I can really do something with my life. It's a sense of profound satisfaction with who we really are.

I've had days when I felt like I could just blend into the background. Like I don't even know who I am. I've had days when I thought no one would ever love me. Like no one would ever think I was beautiful, or even mildly attractive for that matter. So what changed? Well, my face certainly didn't, but my attitude did. Helped along by my first boyfriend (but let's not delve too deeply into that), I started to develop an actual persona, and started on the path towards 'me'.

I won't pretend that I'm wonderwoman. Sure, there are things I'd change. I wish my tummy was flatter, I wish my hair was more manageable, and I really wish I was less socially awkward. But I can get past all those things, because there's so much more beauty to life. 

When I walk down the street now, I feel eyes on me. Maybe I'm wearing an outrageous outfit, or maybe I've got my legs out, or maybe I'm having a good hair day. Whatever it is, people notice me. They notice the confident young woman strutting down the street in whichever heels she threw on that morning, because she loves herself. And not in a bad way. In a way that gets people noticed. Which is pretty important in today's world, right?

Let me end with this. If there's a reason why you can't get to a state of self-confidence, maybe you need to make a change. Or maybe it's time to face up to the fact that no one in this world has the right to judge you, except for you. And if you can love yourself, so can everyone else.