Confidence and personal appearance is the topic today.
Okay, so I’ve been talking ad nauseum about how real, genuine confidence comes from deep within oneself. And it’s true. It really is. So on the surface, this story might seem to contradict that basic truism.
That being said……
I went to the BizTechDay conference in Burlingame for the last two days. Wonderful event, kudos and thanks go to Edith Yeung for putting on another successful event!
So, here’s what happened: I had planned an outfit according to my usual criteria: tone of event, astrological phase of the moon, time of day, region of event, type of attendees, all that stuff. Grey power combo accented with purple was my choice. Got up and found out that not only was one of the garments I wanted wrinkled beyond belief, but I’ve lost so much weight recently that nothing I had planned to wear really fit.
Le sigh.
Time for Plan B. Knowing that I was going to the event with my Film Maker friend, I decided to IGNORE my gut instincts that were screaming “grey pinstripes!”, go with my *ahem* “better judgment”, and dressed in “Artsy-Fartsy Chic” style like my companion. These were new clothes, they fit better, but were kinda casual. Ambivalence gripped me, but I thought, “Hey, I’m the Queen of Confidence, I’ll wear whatever I want!”, trying to justify my now uncomfortable choice. The designer jeans and sweater ensemble with beaded scarf fit my body better, at least. Seemed okay ‘til I got there.
I felt uncomfortable in my wild child casual duds. Out of place. Inappropriate. I didn’t feel true to myself, or my brand. And as a result, I didn’t feel like I was standing fully in my power.
Because of my clothes??? That goes against everything I know about true confidence. Confidence based solely upon appearance and other externals never lasts, we all know that, right? RIGHT?
I was dismayed now at my own emotional state, along with feeling out of place. I snuck out of the conference, dashed home (which was luckily 15 minutes away), and changed into the old reliable pinstripes. My gut calmed down, and when I returned to the conference, the Queen of Confidence rocked the house. The change was remarkable.
But was it really my clothes that were at issue here? On the surface, yes indeedy, that would be the obvious conclusion. But on further reflection, the true cause of my unease and discomfiture was made apparent.
For the conclusion of my story, come back for the next blog post. I’ll be sharing my revelations and learning around this situation.
