Take 5 for Yourself Part 8

Reprinted with Permission from The Woodcroft Gazette

Confidence

Part 8 in a series by Karen A. Stevenson, President, Studio K Salon

Confidence - a very important ingredient in anyone’s life if they are looking for a job, hoping to meet Mister or Misses “Right”, wishing to project a positive image when walking into a sales meeting, or simply attempting to have a nice evening in a social setting. Confidence is something one feels on the inside, yet also must project on the outside in order for it to truly come across to whom ever you may be coming in contact with.

Confidence. It is when you enter a room and people turn their heads. Projected when your posture is erect, your head held high. Clothes fitting, smile on the face, and walking with determination.

Is confidence something that is natural? Sometimes….sometimes not. Depends on how you were raised. How you feel about yourself. What you were programmed with as a child. Did you hear that you were a success and a go-getter? If so, you probably have internal confidence. Did you hear that you would never amount to anything and that you were never intelligent enough? If the latter was the case, then you can probably already sense that you lack in projecting self-confidence.

Confidence can come from ‘knowing’ information about something that you have educated yourself. Confidence can come from people looking up to you because you have gained their respect and you know you handle things with integrity, with quality, and with understanding.

Confidence is defined as Trust, Reliance, Self assurance, or Boldness. Many of these things can be projected, even if you don’t have the internal confidence you feel you need in order to ‘pull it off’ so to speak.

How does one portray confidence even if they really don’t have the confidence level they should have on the inside? Here are a few hints.

First, the reality is if you don’t feel good about your outward appearance, you will probably not hold yourself in the most confident manner. If your clothes are wrinkled, don’t fit correctly, pants are too short, skirt too tight, zipper broken, buttons missing, collar is bent upwards….these are things that you will already sub-consciously feel negative about and thus project lack of self confidence. Subliminally, you will feel that you look ‘lesser than’, and chances are that you will project it. Other things that sabotage confidence levels are bad make up, bad hair days, scuffed up shoes. What about other subtle things? Eyebrows not properly shaped, not accessorized properly, a run in your nylons, mis-matched socks. Again, these are all little nit—picky things to nag at you internally and will lessen your confidence level.

You have heard mention in past articles about color analysis. Not wearing the proper color clothes near your face will also cause you to not look ‘right’ or not look your best, and therefore you will find that these too will create problems with your confidence level.

How about a few other things that will boost your confidence level?

	Well, hair that is looking good, nicely cut, and the color done properly. No roots showing through, no bad ‘dye’ job.
	Nicely applied make-up if you are a woman, and neatly groomed mustache, beard and even eyebrows for a man.
	Clothes that fit properly, and properly accessorized.
	The way you enter into a room. You can enter into a room and act as though you have no business being there, and that you have no clue what you are doing, or you can go into a room with the mind-set that you have belonging, that you are certain you’ve come to the right place, and that you have something to offer.
	Wearing a smile on your face, shaking the people’s hands with a firm respectful grip, and looking into their eyes with a show of respect? Note that name tags, if worn, are to be placed on the right hand side of the lapel. The right side is appropriate because that allows the person shaking your hand to look directly at your name rather than searching for your name, and it allows ease of identifying right away.
	The way you feel positive about the situation, about how you look, about what you have to offer.

Remember, within the first ten seconds of meeting you, others around you have already made over eleven judgments or opinions about your character. If that doesn’t give you a head’s UP as to how to enter a room with confidence, nothing will.

Hope you have a wonderful summer, and enjoy the weather!

You can read more about this and other information on this website, or visit us at the hair salon, Studio K Salon located at Woodcroft Shopping Centre, 4711 Hope Valley Road, Durham, North Carolina. Tel: (919) 489-4711 Email: studioKsalon@nc.rr.com

Confidence

Part 8 in a series by Karen A. Stevenson, President, Studio K Salon

Created by Keltie Computing Limited ©2002-2006 Webmaster: webmaster@keltie.ca Last modified: December 31, 2005

Created by Keltie Computing Limited ©2002-2006
Webmaster: webmaster@keltie.ca
Last modified: December 31, 2005