FAN SOUND-OFF: MARITZA ON CONFIDENCE || khloewithak.com

KHLOÉ XO

FAN SOUND-OFF: MARITZA ON CONFIDENCE

I hear you guys: You are LOVING my Fan Sound-Off series. I'm so happy to continue the love with this essay from Maritza , who I've actually video-chatted with before!!! She wrote about how to find confidence from within, which is something I've written a lot about in "Strong Looks Better Naked"!

Read her inspiring thoughts below, and don't forget to submit your own essay to my team at submissions@whalerockindustries.com!!!

P.S. Check out past Fan Sound-Offs here and here.

CONFIDENCE 101

Maritza Holland, 23, from New Jersey

Most of us have asked ourselves, "Will I ever be good enough?" It used to be on my mind daily. Confidence is hard to achieve, but it's definitely not impossible! With the time, trust and the support of those around me, my confidence has soared. I remind myself not to look at others for confidence and instead look inside and find it within myself.

Let's say I have a goal I would like to achieve but don't quite achieve it. I take a deep breath and try again. I don't want to be hard on myself. This quote is so true: "Be gentle with yourself; you're doing the best you can." When I stopped second-guessing myself and did the things that mattered to me without fear, I felt my confidence grow.

It's easy to lose some of that confidence when I dwell on the past. I must remind myself that the past is the past for a reason—leave it there. I can't change it, but I can make my future better.

My advice is this: Take baby steps to accomplish your goal. Be confident and use words like "I can and will achieve these goals," rather than going straight for "I can't do it. It'll never happen." Turning a negative into a positive will always help you in the confidence department! Instead of talking yourself out of doing something, say, "What the hell!" and do it anyway.

Remember that those who love and care for you will always be behind you when you need them.

"Accept your past without regrets, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear."

Confidence works like a muscle—either you use it or lose it. You have to build your self-esteem first before you can take on the world. Recognizing your achievements is healthy.

Don't think for a second that you can't have confidence. There are things you do with great confidence already—you just have to take notice and get familiar with how it feels. Accept your past without regrets, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear.