Quick Tip for Confidence - Keep Your Portfolio Up to Date

I grew up mistaking self-confidence with hubris, avoiding it as though a sin.  Turns out, it's a good thing and I was missing out for a long, long time.  So, I'm trying to bring practices into my routine to improve my confidence…as I find things that work, I'll jot a quick note about it here and maybe it will work for someone else, too!

…and now, without further ado, I bring you my first Quick Tip for Confidence:

Keep Your Portfolio Up to Date

This may sound like trite advice that only applies to artists and writers who actually keep portfolios but it does work. Here's why: Whether you're keeping an actual portfolio of your published and/or best work or you're simply keeping a folder in which to file way your accomplishments, regular reminders of what you do when you're at your best make it easier to remember those same accomplishments when you're feeling down.

Give Yourself a Hug

For everyone who struggles or has struggled with self-esteem, self-acceptance, anxiety, depression, etc.,  there are no easy fixes. There's a reason an entire industry of dubious value and extreme expense exists to aid people with their mental health. I have seen all sides of this industry, via my own experiences and those of people close to me. For some, medication and professional therapy help. Some even benefit from the intense therapies of hospitalization. And, while I strongly feel that there should never be any stigma associated with accepting whatever help the mental health industry has to offer, my personal journey has led me away from it. 

In my case, I found out fairly early that medications prevented me from learning how to cope on my own. Professional therapists, counselors, etc. never seemed to understand where I was coming from and, as a result, tended to leave me frustrated and feeling no better than when I began with them. The thing that always struck me, when I was attempting the counselor route, was that every negative feeling I had was viewed as something unnatural - something to rid myself of. I always ended up feeling like a failure because I couldn't stop the negative though process from occurring. Negativity was wrong. Therefor I was wrong because I felt that way.