10 Things Confident People Never Do

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?” – Marianne Williamson

If you have confidence, you can walk into any room in the world and feel assured and comfortable with who you are, without needing the approval from others. Confident people don’t need to justify themselves or explain themselves to other people; they just express their individuality and flow through life without analyzing their every thought and action. Confident people have simply learned to accept themselves, and share their unique nature with other people without feeling self-conscious. Thankfully, we can learn self-confidence if we feel uncomfortable or unhappy with ourselves, but in order to get to that point, we must first understand the behaviors that confident people avoid.

Here are 10 things confident people avoid doing:

1. They don’t ask other people for approval.

Confident people don’t need permission from others in order to make a decision; they feel totally comfortable and worthy of making choices on their own without needing to ask others first. They will listen to other people’s opinions and consider them, but they don’t put those opinions above their own in the decision-making process. They simply live their lives in congruence with their hearts, and feel that going to other people for acceptance will only lead them astray.

2. Confident people don’t blame other people or situations for what happens to them in life.

They take full ownership of everything that happens to them. Confident people don’t blame the barista at the coffee shop for running late to work, or the fact that they don’t have enough money this month to pay rent. They take full responsibility for their actions, and realize that they are the conductor of their lives. They might not have the ability to control everything that happens to them in life, but they can choose to respond in a way that benefits their life and not wallow in self-pity or play the blame game.

3. They aren’t scared of things that will challenge them, mentally and physically.

Confident people don’t feel scared to accept a challenge or get a little outside their comfort zone; they willingly charge ahead toward new experiences, and get a thrill out of being uncomfortable. They don’t put limits on what they can achieve; they have confidence in themselves and know that every new experience poses an opportunity to grow and learn.

4. They don’t second-guess themselves.

Confident people don’t mull over their thoughts endlessly after making a decision; they simply watch life unfold and stand behind their choice. Even if it didn’t work out according to plan, confident people still don’t second-guess themselves, because they know that they made a certain decision for a reason. They have faith in themselves to take the proper steps in life to reach their goals and achieve success.

5. Confident people don’t tear others down to boost their self-esteem.

One of the most defining characteristics of a confident person is their ability to feel completely comfortable with themselves without needing to belittle other people in the process. They can stand in their truth and express themselves openly without squashing every person in their path.

6. They don’t care what other people think of them.

Confident people show up to any situation in life fully ready to show people the real them, without needing to hide any part of themselves or conceal any “imperfections.” They know they have flaws, but realize that everyone does, which means we should all feel comfortable showing those to people. They understand that they incarnated into their bodies for a reason, so why waste their time hating themselves or wishing they were someone else? Confident people love themselves, and don’t care if anyone else does or not.

7. They don’t give up on their dreams and goals.

Confident people see their dreams through to the finish, no matter how many roadblocks they encounter along the way. Being confident doesn’t mean that they don’t have doubts along the way, but they push past their insecurities and trust themselves to follow their heart no matter what. They know that no one else can achieve their goals for them, so they must do the work to see the results.

8. Confident people don’t try to impress others.

They could care less how much money they have, what brand of clothing they buy, or what kind of car they drive. They know that possessions don’t define a person, and feel confident in themselves because of their character. They realize that someone’s true essence comes from their soul, and don’t waste time impressing other people with things they don’t even care to own. They only want to impress themselves, and work on having the best possible relationship with themselves.

9. They avoid putting things on the back burner.

Confident people don’t procrastinate; they get things done as needed. They dive headfirst into life, and won’t allow outside forces to knock their persistence. Confident people don’t just watch life happen; they create it.

10. Confident people don’t agree with people just to make them feel comfortable.

They don’t mind a healthy debate to get a fresh perspective or maybe to teach the other person something, too. They don’t allow people to walk all over them or treat them as a doormat; confident people remain steadfast in their beliefs, regardless of who agrees with them.