Princess Confidence

Tra-la-la.
Remember when we were younglings and we'd make-believe we were a princess, or pretend to pour tea into those teeny, pink cups..... or in my case; pretend that Jonathan Taylor Thomas was my boyfriend..... (I made out with a bread roll during this pretend).
Our little imaginations zoomed us out of the "burbs" and placed us in faraway lands. In fact, our imaginations were so powerful that sometimes it was hard to grasp reality when we'd been lost in the make believe...(telling people that I was dating Jonathan Taylor Thomas).
Even today as a mother, I can often convince my stubborn mind that I am not tired-especially when baby bright eyes wakes me up seven times a night. Or last week; I convinced myself that I loved water-and I did-until I had that fatal sip of Coke and remembered what ecstasy tasted like. The truth is, pretending works even for adults, especially when our minds have to be cajoled into something.
When I was a teen, I looked something like a cross between a young Hermione Granger and Ugly Betty: braces, frizzy hair, zits galore....
I decided that even though I was a member of the fugly gang, I was not going to let anyone intimidate me. I would walk into the cafeteria and coach myself by saying: "NO ONE INTIMIDATES YOU-NO ONE" and I would strut around with my nose in the air, like I didn't have mosquito-bite boobs and there wasn't a "kick me" sign stuck to my back. For a while it was just an act. I was pretending to be confident even though I really wasn't, and then....I can't pin-point when- it became a reality. I morphed into the self assured girl, I was pretending to be. Isn't that the way with everything? "Hang out with the wrong crowd" -your mom used to say-"and you'll become just like them..". Be friends with a super cool fashionista and you'll find yourself accessorising. Pretending you're confident will start as a behavior, turn into a habit and become a mindset. Osmosis if you will. You are training yourself by using mind over matter.
When I used to walk into a room, I would remind myself that the people in it, were just that-people. They pooped the same way I did, came into this world the same way I did and most likely felt insecure the same way I did. If I was in a room of non-Christians, I would remember that I had the upper hand because I knew truth and they didn't. If it was a Christian thing... well we all know what nerds Christians tend to be-you don't have to try very hard to feel cooler than them. So go swagger around the grocery store like you're the hottest girl there, give your presentation as if you're the only one that's smart and make purring noises at the boy you like-actually-no, don't do this-but you get my drift....
To this day-No one intimidates me....and if I'm scared-I talk myself out of it.
So coin whatever phrase works for you (mine=No one intimidates you Tarryn-NO ONE), and claim it like your bastard child.

Good luck and goodnight.