One of the most important aspects of our human nature is confidence. For many people, confidence is a strange thing that seems almost impossible to obtain. Confidence is the sole quality of human beings that allows us to achieve the impossible, but a lack of it can also be debilitating to our lives. Without confidence, we don’t step out of our comfort zone and we have a hard time growing as people. Confidence is required in life, and your appearance is one of the most important things to improve if you want to be confident. However, we can’t always change how we look, which is why it’s important to use your appearance as a starting point for inspiring confidence in yourself. How can you do that? Here is a list of tips that will get the ball rolling.
Rule 1#: Accept who you are
Don’t look at other people and tell yourself that you wish you were them. Don’t look at magazines and sigh because you don’t have smooth skin like the models. Instead, accept who you are and work with it. Do people say you have a large head? Accept it and either highlight it boldly with your fashion or try and hide it by avoiding hats and sunglasses.
Rule #2: Wear with pride
No matter what you’re wearing, don’t hide it like you’re trying to avoid something. If you chose to wear a nice shirt, don’t cook yourself by wearing a hoodie or a coat over it during the summer—show it off instead. If you’re going to wear swimwear on the beach, don’t wrap yourself in a towel unless it’s cold. Wear what you have with pride.
Rule #3: Define your style
And speaking of wearing what you want with pride, make sure you’re not copying someone else’s clothing. Take inspiration, but define your own style. Do you love a certain colour? Then wear it and try to fit your wardrobe around it. Do you like certain styles of clothing? Don’t be afraid to stick to them exclusively. Like to show off your facial hair with a goatee, sideburns, moustache or even a chest hair? Then get involved with manscaping. Wondering what is manscaping? It’s essentially a way to manage your facial and body hair. You define your own tastes in fashion, so focus on your comfort.
Rule #4: Ignore the haters
It’s extremely important to ignore people who make you feel like you’re wearing the “wrong” clothes. In reality, there’s no such thing as the “wrong” clothes. Everyone has their own definition of good fashion and everyone feels comfortable in their outfit of choice. As long as you enjoy wearing what you do, there’s no reason the haters should get to you. Ignore their advice on trying to make you look better and wear what you enjoy. Confidence is all in accepting your choices and being content with what you have. When people start to make you doubt, you’ve lost the race and you’ll need to work hard to catch up again.
Rule #5: Stand up straight
A straight back projects an air of confidence and is better for your posture. If you want to look and feel like you’re in control, straighten that back no matter where you are. Be it walking down the street, working at your office or even driving your car, keep that back straight and you’ll appear far more trustworthy and reliable than if you were slouching.
Rule #6: Move gracefully
Another way to add confidence to your appearance is to work on your gait. Walking like you’ve got a limp is going to make people turn their heads and look at you funny, and walking like you’re a pompous noble is also going to give people the wrong idea. Look at how you walk and move and act gracefully. Don’t be a lumbering oaf that knocks over everything around them, and don’t move around like a little nervous mouse. Be yourself, walk comfortably, and you’ll appear a lot more confident.
Rule #7: Show your smile
Lastly, remember to show off those pearly whites. Smiling is perhaps the best way to appear and feel confident. Not only does smiling give you a sense of happiness, it makes you more approachable to the people around you. Don’t forget to smile at everyone; be it the cashier at the store, your taxi driver, or even the people you’re driving next to on the road, eye contact should be followed by a cheery smile to brighten up the mood.