My mission at True North Beauty is to inspire confidence. Of course, as a woman I want the world to be filled with strong, secure, compassionate, confident women; but for me this desire does not stop at women. I think a lot about the future generations and believe the key to confident women is for girls to be raised around confident people, both women and men.
I believe we are all born with a high degree of confidence. You can see it in babies and small children- it comes off an unstoppable determination and unwavering belief that anything is possible. If we did not have this innate degree of confidence, we would never learn how to walk, climb, or trust others. Over time, our life experiences, interactions with others, failures, and disappointments can alter our internal dialogue and how we see ourselves. This ultimately chips away at our confidence as we grow older. However, I also believe that confidence can be relearned, but unlike when we are young, we have to approach the practice of building and maintaining confidence in a very deliberate way. This is where we need to dig deep and remember the lessons taught to us by our parents, so we can help ourselves regain confidence.
I was fortunate to have been raised by two very different types of parents- both equally confident, but with very different styles. As you might remember from the May 13th blog post: A Mother’s Love, my mom’s confidence is obvious and the lessons she taught me were focused and deliberate. My father on the other hand, possess subtle confidence. He is a quiet man with a strong moral fiber. He’s not the type that preaches his thoughts and beliefs, he simply lives them. My dad has greatly shaped my definition of confidence and how I try to live my life. He has done that by helping me learn how to read the situation, recognize the impact I have on others, and recognize the value of timing. He doesn’t need to tell people that he is confident; the way he carries himself and acts, shows that he is and this is something that I try to emulate.
Since my dad is the type that mostly listens and when he speaks, his words and message hold a lot of weight. He possesses the discipline to hold back what he is thinking and filters what he says by considering others’ feelings. He taught me that even when opinion differs, to still listen with an open mind, and convey any alternative views in an open-minded, respectful way. From his actions I have come to learn that operating with confidence does not mean just saying what you want with no regard for others. This makes me more aware of my own actions and causes me to think about what is fact, what is opinion, will my opinion be helpful to the other person, and is my desire to share my thought more about me than the other person? From him, I realized that you can still be authentic to yourself and share your point of view, while preserving the dignity of others.
I’m not sure if my dad truly knows how much influence he has had on me and how his constant life lessons have helped me to shape the way I live my life. He knows how much I love him and I’m grateful to him and my mother for providing me with two different examples of confidence as role models growing up. I would like to think that I’m the perfect blend of two amazing, confident parents!
So Happy Father's Day, Dad. Thanks for all the life lessons you've imparted on me.
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