When you feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle, how do you find and maintain self-confidence on a daily basis?
Some women seem to be born with a sense of confidence. For others, it can feel elusive–appealing, but somehow out of reach. If you’re the latter, we feel you. We’ve been there and we want to help ya out.
We’ve met and photographed A LOT of women. Many of them were full of nerves when they came in to the studio, but left having crushed their shoot. So how did they manage to overcome those butterflies? And where did they find the courage to comfort their fears?
Maggie, owner of Revealed Studio, opens up and shares ways to gain and hold on to your self confidence.
Start with the Bunny Slope.
On the path to self-love, we often stop before we even start. The road ahead seems long and difficult. Instead of focusing on your “perfect self,” begin small. If we’re newbie skiers and went straight to the black diamonds, most of us would say “f-it!” as soon as we get off the chair lift. While there is no short cut to confidence, like skiing, there are definite ways to help you reach the top of the mountain.
- 80% Attitude. Your attitude is a powerful tool in supporting your effort. Starting with “I can’t” or “not me” is self-sabotaging. Give yourself the chance with affirmative statements: “I got this” and “today, this is me.” If that’s too much, “I’ll try” or “I’m willing to” is a step in the right direction.
- True Friends. The law of attraction in physics states that “like attracts like.” Choose your tribe wisely. Unfortunately we’ve seen it more than we’d like: a client comes in with a friend, and instead being their cheerleader, the friend turns into someone more like a frenemy. They suck the good vibes right out of the air and not only is the client left feeling bad, but our whole team needs a big “shake it off” afterwards. Having a group of non-judgmental, positive friends will strengthen the foundation of your confidence, support it when it’s weak, and even help rebuild it when truly broken.
- Reflect on the Source. Is your self confidence coming from the superficial? It’s ok to feel gratitude for your body and even your appearance, but at the same time it’s important to remember it’ll only get you so far (and it’s not the most sustainable longterm). What about feeling confident in how you’re taking care of yourself? Being good to your body and your mind—well that’s something to really feel proud about. Across the board, when you look at pyramids ranking the hierarchy of needs in humans from Oprah, to Tony Robbins, to the late American psychologist Abraham Maslow, all place your physical form at the base of the pyramid. But it’s not so important how that physical form looks, but rather how your health enables your best, fullest self.Reflect on the source. Is your confidence coming from the superficial? It’s ok to feel gratitude for your body and even your appearance, but at the same time, it’s important to remember: those surface things only get you so far (and they’re not the most sustainable longterm). What about feeling confident in how you’re taking care of yourself? Being good to your body and your mind? That’s something to really feel proud about. Across the board, when you look at pyramids ranking the hierarchy of needs in humans from Oprah, to Tony Robbins, to the late American psychologist Abraham Maslow, all of them physical form at the bottom of the pyramid. In other words, it’s not so important how that physical form looks, but rather how your health enables your best, fullest self.
- Be Curious. It’s normal, and as a matter of fact, very common to be hard on yourself. On a daily basis we’re exposed to direct and indirect messages that can lead to self-doubt. Next time you feel that urge to cut yourself down rather than being judgmental, try being curious. For example, that’s interesting, every time I scan through instagram and see a woman with an awesome booty I start to spiral, committing to 100 squats a day till my flat butt grows an inch. What’s going on there? Is a bigger butt gonna make me happier? Is social media making me less secure? Try asking questions rather than immediately labeling yourself.
- You are beautiful & Unique. Comparing is a self-defeating monster. When we measure our worth alongside others, we fail to recognize the million tiny factors that make each and every one of us wholly unique and valuable in our own way. Try the curiosity trick again when you get the urge to compare. In doing so, your mind will open up. And here’s the truth: behind so many perfect-looking photos, there’s a level of smoke and mirrors worthy of a Las Vegas performance — photoshopped figures, strict dieting that by clinical standards would be considered an eating disorder, and a desperate need for affirmation that leads to addiction.
Step-up and surprise yourself, our experience has shown that the person in the image IS that beautiful and wonderful and kind. And GREAT! The world needs more people like that. Remind yourself of your self worth and how beautiful you are – replace jealously with admiration, free your emotional space for an abundance of joy in your heart. Wanna know another word for joy? CONFIDENCE!
See what some of the women who joined us for our photo sessions, also known as self confidence shoots, have to say about their reviews on boudoir photography.
You can also see some of the shoots and read about these amazing, beautiful, and self confident women,
- Living with Epilepsy: Mara Lynn opens up about her difficult journey and path to happiness
- Freedom after a controlling relationship and how Courtney broke free
- Finding confidence from within with Sherhara
- Mom of three WoWs in boudoir shoot
Interested in your own boudoir photography shoot and seeing your self confidence rise? Check out what our customers have to say in our boudoir photography reviews or how to prep for a boudoir photography shoot.
Empower yourself, book online with Maggie directly with your name and number and we’ll get back to you to schedule your session and answer any questions you might have.