I don’t intend to be cliché with this article, but I must share my thoughts of what confidence really is and what it means to me. I have an awkward attraction to words so I have adopted Merriam-Webster as my friend. She helps me when I tend to think too deep on what something truly means. I’m sure I have a mental illness, but hey, we all do. Merriam defines confidence as a feeling or consciousness of one’s powers or of reliance on one’s circumstances. The additional meaning says it is the faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way.
After this summer, I will be entering my SENIOR year at the best HBCU there is, that is non other than THEE Fort Valley State University! (Hold your applause, please). Don’t ask me why I put so much emphasis on “Thee”, it’s just an HBCU thing. The love we have for our institutions is incredible and Knuck If You Buck is the perfect song to describe how we’re coming about our schools. Anyway, getting back on topic, that’s where I developed my confidence.
It all started back in the summer of 2016. My mother and her best friend brought me to the first orientation session of the summer at FVSU. From the moment I stepped out of the car, I knew I was home. Orientation leaders smiled and welcomed me with open arms, advisors were equipping me with the classes I needed to take early on and giving me all the “cool” professors. I met people who will essentially be in my life until I’m 6ft under. No, I’m not exaggerating, that’s just how lit Fort Valley was. I captured meaningful connections from that one occasion. I had not stepped foot in a classroom yet and I knew it was the place for me. It was love at first site, literally!
I guess to truly inform you about what confidence really is, I have to tell you my business. If you go to my Instagram page right now (that_bald_boy), you’ll see a quote in my Bio. It reads “Only the man who makes the voyage can speak truly about it.” Do you know what that means in layman’s terms? It means you can’t speak about something if you never attempt. Audacity has to be the language you speak, therefore, I decided to take a leap of faith. Now I’m writing my FIRST article. Oh my gosh!
Here’s what you should think about confidence………
- Confidence is trying new things
I can’t count how many times I’ve missed out on opportunities because of fear. Still to this day I have fears that taunt me and withdraw me from connecting to the sources that contain my future success. If you don’t learn anything else from this article, take my advice and try to do something you think you’re not cut out for. For example, when I arrived on campus my freshman year, I knew I was destined to be great. I was looking for opportunities left and right. I had no idea what SGA was, but there were 10 senator positions open for the freshmen class, so I applied. A few days later I interviewed and that door was opened. That’s not all though. Then I heard about the Royal Court and had an opportunity to see photos and videos of what they do. Representing my class in a position with such prestige was ALLLL the way down my alley. Immediately I began conversing with classmates and upperclassmen trying to figure out what it took to be crowned Mister Freshman. I was nervous and I only had a week to convince 700 freshmen why I was the guy who deserved to represent them. I made flyers, hosted a fish fry/ party on the yard, made candy bags, and crashed EVERY GroupMe I could. To make a long story short, I WON!!!! My main man Frederick Douglass said it best, “If there is no struggle there is no progress.” (PERIODT POOOH)
P.S.: I’m still trying to figure out who this Pooh is though.
- Confidence leads to purpose!!!
Not only have I found out what my calling is in life, but now I’m walking in it. I majored in Middle Grades Education when I started school. I was extremely passionate about education and still this very day, that fact remains. One night I had a come to Jesus meeting with myself because I felt as if I was being pulled in another direction. I desired to be an educator, but I felt my life was worth so much more. (By the way, teachers are dope and I appreciate what they do and the sacrifices they make to develop young minds.) I knew from being in SGA and being the king of my class, I was called to be a voice for the people I serve. That’s when the Lord placed public service in my life. I knew that in order for me to work in the public sector and represent people, I had to be able to understand them. I then changed my major to social work. (It explains why I’ll be in school an extra semester, sadly.) That passion to speak out and use my voice as messenger led me to run for Student Body President. I knew that if I wanted to serve the world, I must learn to serve the community that I’m currently associated with. My school means the world to me. When you care for humanity and the world around you, you’ll go above and beyond to see change and lives transformed. Do I have all the answers? No. Will I be able to carry out every initiative I have in mind? No. Will I be able to inspire the next leaders of my institution to have the same passion as I do for the university? Yes. When you jump in confidence, there’s no limit to where you can go! Move in action never doubt. Every successful person who has walked this earth had to have confidence at some point in life. You got this!
Lastly…….
- Confidence Is Contagious!!
Think about it. When people are sick we don’t want to be around them. We don’t want them to talk or breathe because we fear we’ll catch whatever got ahold of them. Now just imagine if we used that same energy with confidence. I have a duty this year to shape the next leaders of Fort Valley State University. Yes, it’s definitely more overwhelming than it sounds, but God gives the hardest battles to His toughest soldiers. (I still can’t do 50 push-ups without a minor asthma attack.) The point is we have to have untouchable self-awareness and not allow the criticism of the world to shape how we view ourselves. If I lead the student body this year with uncertainty and a lack of passion, it won’t help build up the confidence they’ll need to come behind. Every front-runner I watched in my matriculation didn’t possess the confidence to lead and it showed greatly. Being able to inspire yourself is a part of growing your confidence. No matter what you do, someone will disagree or dislike it but that shouldn’t stop your shine. You are blessed and you are in this world to carry out your dreams so that others will be inspired. Confidence at times will come with tears that are shed, but in the end people will love you because you had the guts. The bible tells me in Philippians 4:13, “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.” Not some things, not most things, but ALL things! Have a little faith in yourself and others will begin to follow your example.
From this point forward you will do the following:
- Try new things
- Live in your God-Given Purpose
- Inspire the world through your light
