“Self-confidence is like being rich – it is something we think everyone else is but us.” The characteristic of confidence is exceptionally vital in our lives. Why, then, do we struggle so much to accomplish it? Everyone suffers from a lack of confidence at least one point in their life, some more than others. Confidence is something that can be found within one’s self. It does not depend on anyone else, and can be controlled by only one person: you. Each person is responsible for whom they are, and what they want to do their life. So, why is it that we have to do things a certain way? Is it because of society and its norms, or perhaps certain people that we love influence us to change ourselves?

The majority of us have specific expectations that we have to meet, and when we do not measure up to these standards, we often feel incapable and incomplete. This can result in failure to believe in ourselves. We fail to remember that no matter what we do or how hard we try, we can never be perfect. No one is. What we need to start doing is to be happy with who we are. Accept that this is you, and you are uniquely special – there is no one like you in the entire world. You have no reason to be put down or to feel insignificant. Do not go through life while you are constantly trying to prove to people what you are worth, because frankly, it is a waste of time.

According to Confidence Coalition, in the United States today, about 90% of women are not satisfied with the way they look, which leaves only 10% of women who are actually happy with how they truly are. These percentages prove that there is something terribly wrong with our society, and we need to start accepting us for who we are. We need to be comfortable with how we look, because achieving self-confidence is the first step to becoming successful. Women tend to have an addiction to perfection because of what society thinks is right, and girls of all ages are taking extreme measures to deal with this crisis. Girls may starve themselves or use other harmful methods in the hopes of controlling their weight; some of which include skipping meals and self-provoked vomiting. In 2003, Teen Magazine conducted research on girls between the ages of 6 and 12 and determined that 50 to 70% of girls that are of normal weight believe they are overweight. Women and girls need to realize that society is wrong, not them.

One thing is definite though, building self-confidence is not simple, and it takes time and effort. From time to time, we may feel as if our confidence suddenly disappears, but that is okay. Always remember, you are not born with self-confidence, it is developed. There are various means of approaching self-confidence, but for starters I recommend starting with facing your fears, improving your posture, learning to accept yourself, and avoiding the idea of being perfect.

Once you are confident, you will become a different person within. Confidence can be compared to a flower – it can grow and flourish. Sooner or later it will ripen and blossom, until you actually come to feel as if a change is taking place inside. At last, you become your own person, uniquely you and nothing like the rest.