How your shyness is robbing you

Confidence, in my dictionary, is the ability to exude an air of being sure of yourself; it is your ability to assert your importance in a non-obtrusive or non-offensive way.

A fun fact about confidence is that some people come into this world with natural gusto but it is not all of them. A good number of people had to actively work on it. Also, even the most confident of people have bouts of self-doubt and utter shyness. Yet, what makes them stand out is their ability to move on in spite of how they are feeling.

Thus, if confidence can be cultivated, why can’t you work on it too? The excuse that it is your personality won’t work anymore. The days of playing the coy, young lady are over. Perhaps if I show you how much your lack of confidence is stealing from you, you will be motivated to work on it.

Shyness:
1.    Steals opportunities- no one wants someone who can’t express the excellent ideas she has in her head. They are not psychics so they would rather go for the person with the lesser idea who can effortlessly express it.

2.    Makes you look incompetent- in the event that you are able to get that golden opportunity you want, there may be a call to defend how you got there but if you are stuttering through your defense, wherever it may be, you immediately look unworthy. It sounds unfair but that’s how the world thinks, unfortunately.

3.    Gives people reason to walk all over you- your inability to assert yourself means you give everyone a free pass and trust me, the jackasses out there would have noticed and they will take advantage of it.

4.    Affects every area of your life- you can’t compartmentalize it. It does not only show in public but affects your relationships, the way you do business, the way you see yourself etc.