Good Morning Beautiful!
Is this what you tell your reflection in the bathroom mirror every morning?
Probably not.
And it’s not likely that you compliment yourself after a great workout or for cooking a fabulous meal or crushing a work-related achievement either.
How you talk to yourself matters.
How you talk about yourself matters.
And the words you use to communicate, well they matter too.
Take a minute here and think about the words you use.
Hi, it’s just me.
This is probably a dumb idea, but…
I think I’m a pretty good photographer.
I’m sorry.
Hi, my name is Susan?
Um, I hate to bother you.
No confidence here!
- Just. It’s disempowering. Instead, say, Hi, it’s me!!
- This is probably a dumb idea. Present that way, and you are right, it probably is. How about “Here’s my idea.” If it needs to move to the scrap pile, that’s fine. But don’t start there!
- I think. Change think to am. And pretty good to fabulous. Fabulous is one of my favorite words, and I use it whenever I can. You have my permission to steal it!
- Stop being sorry. We say I’m sorry way too much, and it often has nothing to do with remorse. Think about it. Maybe “excuse me” is more appropriate.
- Listen to how you end your statements. If you raise your tone, it’s a question. Speak with conviction!
- First, tackle um. Do you say it a lot? It’s very distracting to the listener and makes you sound timid or unprepared. The best way is to stop umming is to pause instead. It’s okay to throw silence into the mix. It gives people a minute to let what you said sink in. And, don’t assume you are bothering anyone! If someone doesn’t have time to talk or be in your presence, let them tell you that.
To build confidence, you don’t need to have a perfect body or hairstyle or incredible manicure.
You don’t need to live in a mansion or drive a Mercedes.
Speak confidently.
It’s easy, it’s free, and it will take you far!
Cheers to your words!
