Happy Thursday, everyone! I hope your week is going well. Here at the Next 50 Years, it has been raining for two days straight. Unusual for late July in Colorado. The good news is that watering will not be an issue for the next couple of days. 🙂 I began work on my classroom this week and I have to admit I am feeling a little nervous about starting the year at my new school. It is starting to really set in that I have a new position.  Even so, I am confident the change is going to be a good thing! I will post pics of my classroom as I work on it on my Facebook page.

Now, on to my topic for today, Self-Confidence and the single person.

Many of you know that I got back from California about a week ago. This wonderful trip did inspire me to do some reflecting on being single and moving outside of my comfort zones to develop more self-confidence. Maneuvering through airports, navigating my way through strange cities, driving on busy and unfamiliar freeways gave me quite the sense of accomplishment with each day that I arrived at my intended destination without incident. ( OK, we won’t count all the times I went left instead of right and had to backtrack several miles, or the times when I was praying I wouldn’t die trying to find the right exit in heavy traffic. 🙂 )

The world is full of confident people from every conceivable walk of life. I would not suggest for one moment that single people are more confident than married people. In fact, I believe that almost everyone has an aspect of their life where they feel a strong sense of mastery and confidence. There is, however, a certain type of confidence that comes from being happily single. It is the confidence to successfully master every aspect of one’s own life. If you think about it,  self-confidence is necessary for the single person to thrive in this world. We need the confidence to manage our homes, finances, education, relationships, and careers, without a helpmate to take on some of the burden or give us advice.  It can be scary and lonely at times to take on every aspect of life alone, but it can also be very rewarding and exhilarating as well. I also believe that if  later on in life we do chose to be in a committed relationship and share a household with someone, our experiences as a single person will enhance that relationship.

Whether you are newly single, A long-term single, or a married person who is interested in getting the most out of life, I encourage you to embrace  a personal challenge each day to build your self-confidence and enrich your life. Here’s a few ideas to challenge yourself, boost your confidence, and grow to your fullest potential.

Travel- Explore new places.. If you have the means to visit a foreign country, what a great way to expand your horizons.. If you don’t have the means or the desire to leave your home turf there is always plenty to explore in your own neck of the woods. I have found that we often know very little about our own hometowns and the areas that surround us. Learning to navigate in new surroundings, as well as learning about different places people call home will boost your confidence greatly.

Learn- Take a class at the local community college, attend a lecture.  join a group or club that explores something you have always been interested in. Knowledge is power.

Become a patron of the arts– Even the smallest communities have armature or semi-professional  orchestras, theatre groups, and art exhibits. If you live in a city or town with lots of cultural opportunities you are very lucky indeed.  Take advantage of what your town has to offer.Build confidence in attending  performances on your own, learning  about the arts and various artists, or perhaps try your hand at performing or creating art yourself.

Meet new people– We all get used to interacting with our family, coworkers, and long-term friends. Strike up conversations with other less familiar people who you come into contact with throughout the day. The grocery store clerk, the lady at church, the person you always pass walking their dog on Saturday morning. You may not actually become friends with these people but being able to strike up conversations with ease is a great social skill, and a good confidence builder. Also,for those who spend a lot of time alone it provides much-needed social interaction.

Challenge yourself physically– Was the last time you rode your bike sometime back in middle school? Has it been years since you swam laps or played basketball? Have you secretly admired your friends who run 5k and 10k races to raise money for various causes? It is time to get back in the game, literally. Read up on or talk to someone about setting goals for your physical fitness. It is essential for your health that you keep active and fit. As you find  yourself becoming stronger your self-confidence will soar.

Embark on a DIY projectt-Are their things around the house you would like to change? Paint a room, refinish a piece of furniture? Maybe you are brave enough to try something like installing your own sprinkler system. Whatever it is, changing or improving your living space takes courage.  Go for it.

As always, I would love to hear from you!  Please share your thoughts, experiences, or advice.

Thanks for stopping by the blog,

Until next time,

Laura