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Since creating the Plus Pageants Network, I've encountered thousands of women across the globe that are excited about the opportunity to compete in a plus size competition where they aren't judged by their size. Many times I've asked those that haven't started their plus pageant journey what was holding them back....and the survey says.....Lack of Confidence was the top answer on the board. As a Holistic Healer, I provide a great amount of spiritual consulting to my clients when they feel they may have run into an emotional roadblock. As a pageant consultant, I provide the same emotional support to my queens, because rhinestones shine brighter on a queen that believes she's a winner! Adjust your crown and try these exercises to get you pageant ready:
1. Look at your reflection. True confidence comes from loving yourself in your authentic light. To be able to see yours
elf in that light is to be able to look at your own reflection. Sit or stand in front of a mirro
r in private and look deeply into yourself. You will see things that you love about yourself and you will see things that you or others may consider as flaws. Embrace all that you are. You may get emotional or may hear voices of things that people have said to you that made you feel less than beautiful. Let out your emotions and release the negative opinions that others have of you. If there is anything that you'd like to change about yourself, make a commitment to yourself to work toward that change for your betterment. Have fun with yourself in the mirror...smile, laugh, dance, sing...these are great ways to build joy within yourself and joy is a great compliment to confidence. Getting a journal is a great tool to use to write down the reflections you may have experienced during your mirror work.
2. Getting regular Sunlight & Fresh Air. Have you ever heard the song "Let the Sunshine In" by The Fifth Dimension? I sing that song every morning as I open by blinds! Sunlight brings you a lot more than warmth, it's actually quite nutritious triggering Vitamin D production when sunlight hits the skin. How many times have you looked at the window and thought "It's beautiful outside!" Sunlight can stimule joy and can be a home remedy for sadness. Ever took your first step outside and took a nice deep breath? Satisfying isn't it? Getting fresh air can give you more energy and mental focus...so you focus on the things that matter to you most and bring you fulfillment. When you're able to build happiness for yourself just by using the simple things, it gets harder and harder for anything to take that from you.
3. Walk with Purpose: There is something about a queen that can glide across the pageant stage in her elegant evening gown with a walk that commands the attention of the judges and the audience! People who are confident walk with an intention to succeed. I love to tell my pageant clients that they are to always walk in their light...on and off the stage. The best way to practice your walk of confidence:
Have good back posture. No slouching.
Roll your shoulders up...back and down leaving them relaxed
Your relaxed shoulders will allow for your chest to be open and pushed forward
As you walk, make sure your feet aren't dragging.
Let your hips move naturally
Walk with a purpose everywhere you go! The more you do it the more it becomes your natural walk. Your overall look will change to an undeniable confidence.
4. Recite Affirmations. They say sticks and stones will break you bones but words will never hurt you....let's be honest for a second...words can cut you deeper than others may think. This can also include the words that you are telling yourself. Negative self-talk is one of the biggest culprits in your lack of success in pageantry. Saying affirmations silently to yourself or out loud on a regular basis downloads an unconscious belief in what it is you're hearing. This supports confidence from the inside out which is very visible to pageant judges especially during the interview category. It's important to pay close attention to what you're saying to yourself as well as what others say to you so that you may filter what's for your benefits and what brings you more harm than good. Try reciting these affirmation to build confidence for your next plus size pageant:
I am enough
I wear my crown daily
I am my only competition
I love who I am, I love who I'm becoming
I win in everything I do
5. Check your Attitude: Do you see a glass half empty or half full? Your perception of challenges can determine your level of confidence in yourself. How? If every time you come into a roadblock and you feel that it's over for you, then it will be 100%. But if we take that same challenging situation and seek alternative solutions or even simply having a more optimistic and positive attitude about an outcome of any situation, then you've gained the ability to confidently get through anything and still walk in your purpose. Ask anyone in pageantry...things almost always will not go according to plan or things can just plain go wrong! Thinking the worst of everything will only attract unfavorable outcomes and ultimately lower your confidence in your ability to gain anything positive in your life including getting crowned in your upcoming pageant. To use this method, take the next challenge that you encounter as an opportunity to shift your attitude about how it affects you by looking on the bright side of things versus only looking at it in a negative perspective.
Whether your spotlight is on a pageant stage or in a boardroom, use these exercises to flex your muscle for a winning mindset.