Confidence is trait that can be faked until the mind has been tricked into believing it to be true. How do you fake self-confidence? The answers are astonishingly simple and will change your life once incorporated all together. Want an amazing day? Try this out and see what happens.
Dress well.
Everyone has at least one suit or outfit that makes them feel fabulous. People respond favorably to others dressed nicely. You can dress jeans up too, if you must. A disheveled appearance doesn’t command respect. If you want self-confidence, you’re going to have to gain others’ respect. Oh, did I just allude to the correlation of self-confidence to others’ perception of us? I sure did, but that’s another debate for another topic on a different day.
Make eye contact.
Everywhere you go, make eye-contact. Want to meet a stranger? Meet his gaze for a couple of seconds before looking away. Walk down the street and greet some pupils. No one will be able to take their eyes off of you. Just don’t overdo it, you’re not a stalker. If making eye-contact is hard at first, then just look long enough to check eye color. Try to count at least 5 stranger’s eye color in one day.
Smile.
If making eye-contact is easy, add a smile. If you’re single, you won’t be for long. Eye-contact plus a smile, in addition to a neat appearance equals SOLD!
Speak deliberately.
Mark Twain says it best, “It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.” Speak in short sentences and audibly. A strong voice portrays confidence. If you’re going to speak quickly, know what’s coming out to prevent rambling.
Mother knew best.
Your posture tells all of your secrets. Become aware of what your body language is saying and then change the message by sitting and standing straight. Be natural, but don’t slouch or have all of your limbs crossed at once.
Nix negative self-talk
You can’t fake this part, but its imperative to self-confidence. Change all of your negative self comments to something more positive. For example you find yourself looking in the full length mirror after getting dressed and think “I look like a fat pig in this sweater.” That comment can be changed to “I really liked this sweater on me last week. I’ll try it again another day.” Make the wardrobe change and move on without dwelling. Would you tell your friend she looked like a fat pig? Not if you want to keep her. The same goes for you, so start being your own best friend.
With these simple fixes you will soon see yourself in a different way and so will everyone else. This new you will permeate through all other aspects of your life by improving your outlook. When they start asking “what’s different?” smile with a look in the eye, and reply “nothing.” Just be forewarned by our friend Mark Twain again, “All you need is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.”
