Three Steps to Build Self Awareness, Empowerment & Confidence
Building your confidence
It starts by taking action and challenging yourself to grow.
It is my pleasure to introduce you to Nicole Kalil. She has done so many wonderful things for women, and the latest is that she's published a book with the genius title, 'Validation is For Parking." Nicole Kalil has gone through an incredible journey to build self-awareness, empowerment, and confidence. In this blog post, I will outline how Nicole shows women how they can navigate ageism and sexism in the workplace, a topic we both care a lot about.
About Nicole Kalil
Nicole Kalil is a powerful advocate for women and a published author of the book, "Validation is For Parking." Nicole crafted her book to bring balance to the perspective of professional, successful, and confident women in the world, given the fact that 92% of business books are written by men. Nicole speaks candidly about the process of writing her book and how it has impacted her confidence journey. She is passionate about helping women to understand and embrace their unique abilities and talents in order to discover their passions and purpose. Through her work, Nicole encourages women to move away from seeking validation from external sources, and learn to embrace who they really are, not who they think they should be.
How can women learn to navigate ageism and sexism in the workplace?
It is important for all women, but especially those 50+ to navigate ageism and sexism in the workplace because these forms of discrimination can impact their career opportunities and job security. Even when subtle, they can limit career advancement, pay and job satisfaction. Ageism and sexism can also be overt, such as when an older woman is passed over for a promotion or if an employer fails to take into account her years of experience and expertise. Women, 50+ need to be aware of the ways in which such discrimination can manifest and be prepared to challenge it, if necessary.
Navigating ageism and sexism in the workplace can be a form of self-empowerment. By understanding and addressing these forms of discrimination, women, 50+ can take charge of their career paths, assert their worth and make sure that their skills and experience are valued. This can help to build confidence and create an environment in which other women flourish and reach their goals.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Self-Awareness: Take the time to become aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and identify what makes you unique and special. Understand what you are not meant to be and embrace that too.
2. Empowerment: Make the choice to take ownership of your life and take action on things that are important to you. Understand that saying yes to something means saying no to something else and choose intentionally.
3. Confidence: Build your confidence by taking action and challenging yourself to grow. Recognize that confidence is an inside job and that it is an ongoing journey that requires consistent effort. Reject the idea of needing external validation or approval to feel confident.
Let's go a little deeper...
Self-Awareness: Take the time to become aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and identify what makes you unique and special. Understand what you are not meant to be and embrace it.
Self-awareness is the first step to improving your confidence and understanding your own unique gifts and talents. To become self-aware, start by taking the time to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and identify what makes you special and unique. It is important to understand what you are not meant to be and to embrace it, too. Reflection can be done through journaling, talking to a friend or mentor, or simply taking time for yourself to think about what your goals are and what you are trying to achieve. Additionally, it is important to recognize the false and mixed messages you receive from society about what it means to be confident and successful. Focusing on external sources of approval and validation can lead to feeling like a fraud and being overwhelmed by perfectionism.
Once you have become self-aware, it is important to practice mindfulness to stay grounded in the present moment. Mindfulness is the practice of being aware and present at the moment without judgment. This is especially important when it comes to self-confidence and success because it can help reduce anxiety and perfectionism. Mindfulness can be practiced through meditation, journaling, yoga, or simply taking the time to connect with your breath and be present in the moment. Additionally, mindfulness can help you stay focused on your goals and stay motivated to continue working towards them.
Self-care is essential for developing self-confidence and achieving success. Self-care looks different for everyone, but can include things like taking time for yourself to relax, journaling, getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and engaging in activities that make you feel good. Taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health is key to building self-confidence and achieving success. Additionally, self-care can help reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm that can arise when striving for success.
Nicole chose to write her book because she wanted to provide a balance to the masculine lens that most business books are written from, and she wanted to share her journey of self-discovery and how understanding who she is and who she is not has been a freeing experience for her. She also explained how the process of writing the book was emotionally challenging for her, and how she had to lean on all of her confidence builders to help her get through it. Finally, she shared how she has come to realize that confidence is an inside job and that we need to stop telling women how to look confident and start talking about how to actually become more confident.
Nicole wanted to create a book that would challenge the traditional models of success and provide women with a roadmap to their own journey of self-discovery. She believes that everyone has the potential to be confident in their own skin and to achieve success in whatever endeavor they choose to pursue. It is her hope that the book will inspire other women to find the courage to pursue their unique paths to success.
Empowerment: Make the choice to take ownership of your life and take action on things that are important to you. Understand that saying yes to something means saying no to something else.
Empowerment is an integral step in building confidence. It is the act of taking control of your own life and making informed decisions that are best for you. Taking ownership of your life means recognizing that you are in charge of your own destiny and that success is in your own hands. It also means understanding that saying yes to something means saying no to something else, as it is often necessary to make trade-offs in order to prioritize what is most important to you. Being able to identify and embrace these trade-offs is an important part of taking ownership of your life and building confidence.
Empowerment is also about understanding that success does not come easily. It is essential to recognize that there will be challenges and obstacles along the way. It is important to not be discouraged by these obstacles and to persevere. Having the courage and confidence to take ownership of your life, make decisions, and take action is essential to overcoming challenges and achieving success. With the right mindset and attitude, anything is possible.
Nicole shared the process of writing her book, how it felt emotionally and mentally, any regrets she has, and how it has impacted her confidence. She can talk about how writing the book was an exercise in building confidence, and how she had to lean on her 5 confidence builders to get through it. She also talked about the "confidence con"- the false and mixed messages women receive around how to look confident versus how to be confident, and how this can lead to self-loathing, perfectionism, and other issues. We dug deep into chapter 5 'Own Who You’re Not and Embrace Yourself', and how understanding one's own passions and talents can be freeing, but also how understanding what one is not meant for is just as important.
Confidence: Build your confidence by taking action and challenging yourself to grow. Recognize that confidence is an inside job and that it is an ongoing journey that requires consistent effort. Reject the idea of needing external validation or approval to feel confident.
Building your confidence starts by taking action and challenging yourself to grow. Taking action allows you to see the progress you are making, which can be a great motivator. It is important to recognize that external validation or approval will not give you lasting confidence. Instead, you need to look inside yourself to find the confidence that will carry you through. This process can be difficult, but it is worth it. To help yourself, think about why you want to be confident and what it will bring you. Knowing this will help you stay motivated while you are on your journey. Additionally, it is important to recognize that you are not meant to be all things to all people all the time. Understanding this and embracing it can help you focus on what you are meant to do and develop more confidence in those areas. Finally, it is important to remember to be your authentic self and not try to conform in order to fit in. This will help you find true belonging and build lasting confidence.
It is also important to take care of yourself when building confidence. Make sure to take time to rest and relax. This will help you to feel rejuvenated and give yourself the energy to take on new challenges. Reward yourself for taking action and achieving goals. Celebrating your successes, no matter how small, can help you to stay motivated and continue to build your confidence. Remember that building confidence is not a linear journey. You will have days where you feel great and days where you feel like you have taken two steps back. That is okay. Remember that you are working hard and that you will continue to learn and grow. With that attitude, you will be able to stay on track and build the confidence you are striving for.
Navigating ageism and sexism in the workplace can be a difficult, but necessary task for women, and can be a form of self-empowerment and help build confidence. Nicole Kalil is a powerful advocate for women, and her book, "Validation is For Parking" provides a powerful and balanced perspective on building self-awareness, empowerment, and confidence. I enjoyed reading the book and having Nicole as my guest on the podcast so we could share her wisdom with you. Knowledge alone is not power, applied knowledge is power, so take Nicole's advice to heart and put it into action.
Photo credit: Erika Tebbens website