The importance of putting yourself out there

When it comes to life, it's so important to put yourself out there, no matter how much you might not want to. Putting yourself out there can be terrifying. It leaves you open and vulnerable to rejection, negativity, even (and I hate this word) 'haters'. It leaves you open to failure. And no one wants to face any of those things, let alone deal with them.

But putting yourself out there doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Have you considered all of the things you could achieve by having a small amount of confidence in yourself and just going for it? (Whatever 'it' might be!)

If you are at school and want to volunteer for a role as Head Girl or Class Rep or similar (you get my gist), no one will know you want to have that role, or that you are even capable of that role unless you put yourself out there, express your interest and show your teachers what you can do. 

If you want to progress at work or try to get yourself a promotion, you won't be able to do it by just doing the same old thing you always do. You have to put yourself out there! Ask to be promoted, and back yourself up with reasons why you deserve to be. Alternatively, ask if there's any progression opportunities that you could put yourself forward for. 

If you fancy the pants off of someone, they will never know unless you put yourself out there and tell them! 

Do you see what I'm saying? In order to move forwards, to progress, to start new adventures in life, you must be willing to push yourself, show others what you're made of, be confident and proud in your own skin. 

Now, I'm not promising putting yourself out there will always work, because believe me, it won't. There might be someone with a better track record at school suited for Head Girl. Someone at work might be better qualified for a promotion. The person you fancy might not fancy you back. But hey, it happens, and you know what? 

Life goes on. 

The important part is that you tried. You boosted your confidence and put yourself out there. If it worked for you, brilliant, if it didn't, oh well! Your teacher/employer/friends/whoever else will have seen a different side to you! They will know now that actually, you are interested in XYZ, and so if a similar opportunity comes up in future, they may think of you. On a personal level, you should see it as a positive too. While a knock back can be hard to deal with, don't let it push you back further. Use it as a learning curve, to help you build your confidence more and more, until you're putting yourself out there all of the time! 

Don't let fear of failure stop you from reaching for your goals and for your dreams. Don't let fear of criticism or knock backs prevent you from even asking for new opportunities in the first place. If you never try, you'll never know- and it would be awful to go through life thinking of the 'what if's'. 

Put yourself out there, as much as you can. I promise, it will open a whole set of new doors to you and make life a little bit more exciting. 

Love from, 

Florence Grace