5 Ways to Gain Confidence in your Talent
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Last Thursday, I was invited to speak to more than 250 high school girls of Raleigh Egypt about etiquette. Intentionally, I spent about 3 minutes on the topic. The rest of the time, I encouraged the auditorium of bright students to shift their focus to their present and future goals.
Afterward, two beautiful, yet very shy young ladies were eager to talk to me about makeup because that's what they enjoyed doing. With their Instagram profiles in hand, ready to hear my feedback on their selfies, one of the girls struck a nerve when she shamefully said, "She does makeup better than me."
My heart broke because that one sentence was evidence that she lacked confidence in her own abilities. After reviewing both of their work, they were actually talented in two different lanes! One was phenomenal at eye makeup, while the other was a beast at highlighting and contouring.
How many times have we compared ourselves to someone else and minimized our special and unique talents and abilities? Have you ever downplayed your skills because you thought someone else could do it better?
During a point in my first year of doing makeup, I remember being in tears standing in my mother's kitchen going through other artist's Instagram profiles. I was frustrated. I was sad, mad, anxious, and I felt hopeless. I wanted so badly to improve my work, and I was striving so hard to do makeup like what I saw. I felt like I lacked so much knowledge to make my work look flawless.
That same day, I made a decision to unfollow a lot of makeup accounts - not because of them, but for ME! My new mission was simply to focus on my own abilities and to find my special something.
And you know what! Turns out that the very people who's work I admired, they were filtering the photos and tricking my eyes all along! So what I was striving for something that wasn't even REAL! Today, though, I'm the makeup artist that women trust to keep them looking like themselves with a touch of glam!
I'm proud of that because I almost quit! I almost gave up standing in that kitchen! I almost wasted my investment (makeup kit, chair, lights, etc.)., and missed out on finding my passion to empower, uplift, and inspire the very women who sit in my chair week-in and week-out.
So, [insert your name] get some tunnel vision and perfect your craft without focusing on others. Drawing inspiration is cool, but growing confidence in your GOD-GIVEN ability will take you to new heights!
5 Ways to Gain Confidence in Your Talent
1. Perfect Your Craft - The more you do something, you should get better at it. So practice! And, remember that practice doesn't make perfect. PERFECT PRACTICE makes perfect! And, do not put a time on practice. Be a life-long learner!
2. Affirm Your Abilities - If you are not where you want to be, tell yourself (out loud) everyday: I am talented. God had given me unique abilities and skills. People want what I have to offer. My service/product is amazing! I am great at what I do!
3. Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway! - Yep, I know you get so afraid to step out. Well, there is no magic potion to get over your fears. You just have to do it!
4. Get Educated - If you lack the knowledge or skill you feel is needed to be great, then find a mentor or YouTube video that will help you get over the hump. Or, hire an outside source to do that part of the task/business for you. You don't have to be the master of everything. And, secondary education/school is not always the only option. So, if you don't know something, go find the answer. Use your resources. You're not a damsel in distress!
5. Don't Compare - Comparison is the thief of joy! God blessed you to do what you do in the way that YOU do it! Eliminate the distractions that feed you negative energy and throw you off your game. Your race is yours. You have to run it at your pace and go through your own journey. Stay focused on you and you'll win every time!
Blessings,
Zii
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