NEWSTo Unlock Self-Confidence in All Areas of Life, Women Must Fall in Love With Learning
Oct. 17 2023, Published 3:13 a.m. ET
Since the beginning of time, stereotypes about women have either fueled women to rebel or shrink into the assumptions that others have made about them.In the 21st century, the former is much more common, but many women are unaware of how to transform from timid and insecure into a woman who needs no external validation to know that she is capable of anything.
According to the Women’s Confidence Report, which is the largest recorded study on this topic, confidence can be influenced by cultural and environmental aspects, but it can be increased in a similar manner. Over a period of three years, more than 11,000 women from 11 countries participated in the Women’s Confidence Report. The findings reveal that most women experience poor confidence regardless of the strong female figures that may have been prominent in national history. Across the board, on a scale of 1 to 10, Mexico and the United States scored the highest, with 7.7 and 6.7, respectively. On the other hand, Korea (5.7) and Japan (4.9) scored lowest. While these numbers don’t represent all women across the world, they are a good way to examine how women’s confidence has room for growth.
Self-confidence is a skill that must be practiced and strengthened over time. From birth, some women may appear naturally confident, but that doesn’t mean it will remain the same throughout life. To build confidence that lasts, women must spend time investing in themselves and their interests. It’s equally important to know our weaknesses but realize that these imperfections are a natural part of being human. While they can’t always be eliminated, practicing skills we struggle with allows us to become better in the future.
Building self-confidence can take many forms, but one of the best methods for doing so is through education. By learning about things that may scare you, you’re actively challenging your preconceptions that you aren’t talented at something. Many powerful women have proven this to be true throughout their journey to live their passions, whether it be in politics, business, media, art, or any other capacity. Some memorable women that may come to mind include Frida Khalo, Oprah Winfrey, and Kamala Harris, but there are countless confident women in the world who are making a difference and that character exists inside all women. The key to unlocking it requires getting out of your comfort zone by keeping an open mind to the things you don’t know and incorporating new knowledge into your existing skill set.
Women’s consultant and serial entrepreneur, Dolce Conde explains her opinion on why women are commonly insecure about their abilities and what they can do to change it:
“Before girls grow into women, we are confident in ourselves, but once we start understanding the stereotypes portrayed in the media, online, and in different cultures, women start to lose that natural ability to feel pride about who they are,” says Dolce Conde, founder of consulting company CrownFirm, “To prevent that from happening, I teach my clients how to stop becoming a product of those false attributes. I show them how to let go of control and stop trying to solve everyone else’s problems before their own. Women must equip themselves with knowledge, whether it comes from books, friends, or colleagues, and incorporate that into every season of their life.”
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Dolce is the owner of multiple businesses within the healthcare sector and a consultant who leads different monthly Mastermind groups that discuss various topics female entrepreneurs hope to learn more about. In her work, Dolce has many clients who might be insecure in some areas despite all their accomplishments. To rectify this problem, Dolce acts as a mentor who provides clarity and resources for building knowledge that later transfers into more confidence.
Dolce particularly enjoys the fact that she can help women from all walks of life. With CrownFirm, Dolce has been able to help women delegate their workloads and address emotional struggles and the responsibilities of being a working wife or a working mother while also optimizing business operations. In another instance, Dolce was able to help many women truly shift their mindsets to launch their first business and become confident in their skills.
Dolce says that her mentorship is how she gives back to her community and other women. She plans to continue these activities for many years to come because she is grateful for the opportunity to change someone’s life and entire generations by sharing her knowledge.
As the professional and personal opportunities for women continue to grow, more individuals will have the chance to discover their strengths and view their weaknesses as something that can be improved with the right amount of knowledge and mentorship.
