I am not a confident person. I know that’s probably a pretty big shocker coming from someone who shares their opinions on some pretty controversial topics with the whole GSU community every Tuesday and Thursday, but I am. So how does a timid girl like me survive a world full of student media, class presentations and the large crowds that college life brings? I fake it ’til I make it and here’s how you can do it too.

• Develop a mantra – think of something that you can say everyday to yourself in order to push you to be your best and give you strength. You could use a phrase, a sentence, for those of you who are religious like me, maybe a scripture would help. Meditate on it during the day or at the times when you are feeling the most nervous.Let it help encourage you. Repeating it over and over can help instill it in you until your words become your actions.
• Listen to music – Athletes have be using this trick for years. From Michael Phelps to the walk-up songs in baseball, music has helped people get ready to go above and beyond. When I need that extra boost to empower myself I turn to Kanye (old Kanye, not that new stuff, it will rot your brain) or Kendrick. Their music makes me feel like I can conquer the world and crush Taylor Swift’s hopes and dreams.
• Focus on what you are good at – when you learn to appreciate the abilities and qualities that you already have, it will become that much easier for you to have faith in yourself when you are faced with challenges you have never met before.
• Finally accept that you can’t be perfect. A lot of us have no self-confidence because we have a very high fear of failure. At some point in time everyone who has ever left a mark on this Earth has failed at something. You have to accept that everything will not go your way ,but that it is no excuse for not trying. If you live your life afraid to miss up then you will never reach your full potential.