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What makes a woman appear confident? Is it the way she dresses? How she holds herself? How she interacts with others?
As it turns out, looks have very little to do with the traits of a confident woman. While it doesn’t hurt to pull out a great pair of heels or the perfect little black dress for that extra confidence boost from time to time, confidence is something that comes primarily from within.
Confidence is an attitude, and definitely one worth cultivating.
Having a confident attitude can have a powerful effect on not only your mentality, but also on your ability to succeed. In fact, studies have shown that people who exude more confidence are more likely to be successful in the workplace.
Learning how to be confident is definitely a skill worth mastering, but we can also learn quite a bit from merely studying the ways of a confident woman.
So how exactly do you recognize a confident woman? And what can we learn from her? Here are the 10 traits of a confident woman.
10 Signs of a Confident Woman
1. She practices self-respect. A confident woman doesn’t compromise herself because she knows her worth. She practices self-respect by removing the negative sources of energy from her life, whether it’s a guy that stands her up, or a flaky friend that never comes through. She knows that to be respected by others she must respect herself first, thus she sets clear standards as to how she wants to be treated.
2. She stands strong in her beliefs. A woman with confidence never compromises her values or beliefs, and stands firmly in all that she believes in. She doesn’t care about being judged, and doesn’t give a flip what others think about her. She knows that people may not always agree with her, but that they certainly respect her for sticking to what she believes in, and practicing what she preaches.
3. She embraces who she is, flaws and all. A confident woman knows that humans are an inherently flawed species, and so she doesn’t seek perfection from herself. Rather, she embraces both her strengths and weaknesses, and uses her talents for good, and her weaknesses as self-improvement points.
4. She’s not afraid to say “No.” It’s impossible to please everyone, and a confident woman knows this. She knows that being able to say “no” to others’ requests and demands shows self-respect for her time and efforts.
5. She speaks with certainty. A confident woman never apologizes for how she feels, or before she expresses herself. She knows her opinions matter just as much as anyone else’s, and shows assertiveness in her interactions.
6. She values individuality over conformity. Confidence isn’t afraid of individuality, and it doesn’t fear going against the norms. A woman with confidence knows that conforming to what everyone else expects is self-compromising, and silences her self-expression. She values what makes her unique, and celebrates her individuality.
7. She openly expresses how she feels. A confident woman isn’t afraid to express how she truly feels. She knows that not expressing how she feels isn’t only self-compromising, it’s self-disrespecting.
8. She knows that true happiness comes from within. Women with confidence don’t look to other external sources for happiness and fulfillment. They realize that true happiness comes from within, and seek personal fulfillment by going after their goals, and working hard to achieve what they want.
9. She doesn’t need to bring other women down to build herself up. People that are insecure often feel the need to bring others down in order to build themselves up. However, they don’t realize that by doing this, they’re only exacerbating their own insecurities. A confident woman doesn’t bash other women to feel better about herself. She knows that comparing herself to others is a deadly trap to fall into, and only hurts herself in the long run.
10. She takes pride in herself. Whether it’s her killer style, her ability to get sh*t done, or her fearlessness, a confident woman takes pride in her unique qualities and strengths. She knows what sets her apart from the rest, and embraces it to the fullest.