I have confidence!

I am obsessed with The Sound of Music.  It's definitely one of my all time favorite movies in the world. Who doesn't love Maria, Edelweiss, I am 16 going on 17,  and, of course,  the dreamy Captain Von Trapp? Yum.

I digress...

But one song I have been singing in my head lately is Maria's infamous "I Have Confidence" song. I love it! Some of my favorite lyrics include:

I've always longed for adventure

To do the things I've never dared

And here I'm facing adventure

Then why am I so scared

And mind me with each step I am more certain

Everything will turn out fine

I have confidence the world can all be mine

They'll have to agree I have confidence in me

I have confidence in confidence alone

Besides which you see I have confidence in me!

This is how I feel right now. I long for adventure. I long to stretch myself and to better myself. I have faith in the future and I feel EMPOWERED to do hard things, to be happy, and to live life to its fullest.

Although I still have my tough moments and, trust me, I have my pity parties and cry fests, I do feel like my eyes, my smile, and my countenance reflect a sense of confidence I have never felt before in my life. 

Where has this come from? I definitely attribute it to God. A few weeks ago I told him that if certain situations in my life can't change, that I would ask instead for him to give me strength and confidence in my present life. I feel confident knowing that God loves me and is aware of my circumstances. And he has totally come through with his promises. I feel a strength beyond my own. 

Additionally, my confidence has come from my determination to live life and to not let my fears and worries hold me back from embracing the woman that I want to become. I don't want any circumstance or person to define my happiness. Ultimately I am choosing to be confident. And you want to know a secret? Sometimes I just fake confidence (especially in social situations) and it works! I am not advocating that anyone here should be fake, but I do believe there is power in optimism and confidence because confidence is contagious! And it shows. Trust me, I've received a lot of compliments about it as of late (Oh and sometimes I'll still go home and cry when I am feeling down, so don't feel like you got to always stay this way because that's not realistic!)

And the more times I tell myself that I can be amazing and do hard things, the more I believe it, and then suddenly my attitude and my actions change.

Guys, I wish I could don my hat and run around Vienna with Maria because seriously, I have confidence in me!!!!!!

Life is grand.