Many years ago, when I was in high school, I was thinking about what made the popular girls popular. (Yes, I know, this is probably not something every 10th grader thinks about, but you have to understand that I have spent a lifetime observing why people do the things they do.) So, anyway, I was watching these girls and decided that it wasn’t the hair or the make up or the clothes that made them popular, it was their self-confidence.

As soon as I realized that, I started having a conversation with myself about how I was going to improve my own self-confidence. I decided that a few things would help: 1. smile as much as possible; 2. sit up straight and walk tall; 3. be friendly with everyone; and 4. find qualities that I liked about myself and concentrate on those. Now, these may seem petty and simplistic, but they worked. The biggest thing I realized was that nobody could make me feel good about myself – I had to do that myself. The best way to do that is to have good, positive self-talk.

That plan started a path to becoming who I am today. It has taken me twenty years to get here, but I feel as though I am exactly where I need to be. The interesting thing to me is that it all started with a conversation with myself about how I wanted to change. I proved to myself that my thoughts really do create my reality.

- Wendi, USA
wendimb@wendimoore.com

Wendi Moore-Buysse works with business professionals who want to learn how to market to women. She coaches, teaches, and consults with women who want to develop intuition and who want to develop leadership skills. Her books from the Life’s Little Cheat Sheets Series, including "Shifting Gears: Get Moving in the Right Direction", are available through her website. "Shifting Gears”"includes ways to shift your focus from what you don’t want to what you do want.

Visit http://www.wendimoore.com for more information and to read her Life's Little Cheat Sheets blog.