Confidence

Twice in the last 24 hours I have been asked if I have always been like this. 
Like what you might wonder?  I asked too.   People wanted to know if my personality was always like this (outgoing, confident, etcetera) or if this was a recent phenomenon since I had my gastric bypass surgery last August.

I explained how I have always been outgoing and an extrovert, however, I have never been really good at projecting a confident self image. 

Clearly that has changed.  Both people commented on my CONFIDENCE level.  I never really saw myself as confident.   I mean I think I have shown recent bursts of courage, charisma, and various extroverted qualities, but never really pinned it down to confidence as the catalyst for all these other qualities to surface.

Over the weekend I got to interact with my friend's 14 year old son.  He is a wonderful kid and we joked around and played dance party on their Wii.  Before I left to go home he made sure to hug me goodbye.  I of course, being a hugging kinda gal never really saw any huge significance in that.  When I saw my friend Michele at work the following day she explained how her son never really takes to her friends and certainly NEVER hugs them.  She told me he really liked me. 

In relaying this story to another friend tonight over coffee, he made reference to how my confidence and overall positive attitude is contagious and how my friend's son must have been drawn to that.  I leaned closer and said, "is that how you see me?"  to which he replied, "yes, and many other qualities". 

He went on further to explain that teenagers are a tough crowd, yet they have an uncanny way of seeing people at the very essence of their true self.  He told me it is the highest form of flattery for a teenager to think I am one helluva cool grown up. 

It makes my heart happy that I am finally in a place in my life where a positive attitude in conjunction with personal self confidence allows me to not only create joy for myself but also create joy in others.

Thank you all for recognizing my confidence and sharing in it!