Meryl Hartstein, Survivor & Speaker

Happy New Year!

What do we want our New Year to look like? Some of us are looking for prosperity and better job opportunities. Some are looking for new relationships and getting out of old ones.  The freshness of a New Year brings so many possibilities. There will be new diets and quitting bad habits. The start of new hobbies and finding causes. Promising new attitudes and appreciation of all possessions. Acquiring friendships and more social awareness. All of these are wonderful, but acceptance of oneself has to be number one on the list this year. Look at all you have accomplished in your life. Learn to be proud. Yes, the New Year is a time for change, an opportunity to continue growing and learning. Empower yourself with the knowledge that you will need to make your life as good as it can be. Face everyday with confidence, there isn't anything that you can't do if you put your mind to it.

Confidence, Confidence, Confidence

I love being confident. It has nothing to do with conceit. To me, it means that I have self worth. It is something that I had to learn. I wasn't always confident, just the opposite. I was taught as a child that being pretty was the most important thing in the world. With that information, I felt that it was my duty, my sole purpose to make myself as pretty as I could. That without it, I would be nothing. Being smart, was not important and heaven knows, having a purpose was stupid. Constantly worrying about how people see you can be exhausting and overwhelming. My insecurities kept me from everything. I didn't know how to enjoy myself. My obsession with a pocket mirror gave people the wrong idea, it wasn't a pleasant sight that I was looking for, it was this overwhelming fear that there might be something wrong, out of place, that someone might see.

Then one day, I decided that there has to be more to me than this. I discovered where my insecurities and low self esteem came from. I didn't want to be like that anymore. I knew that I had plenty more to offer. I was smart and I was good at what I did. I made people feel good about themselves so why couldn't I be one of those people? I know that having confidence has made all the difference in the world for me. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to survive the many obstacles that I have had in my life. I'm happy with the woman I am today. I'm very proud of my accomplishments and I have found my self worth.

Confidence, Confidence, Confidence

I love being confident. It has nothing to do with conceit. To me, it means that I have self worth. It is something that I had to learn. I wasn't always confident, just the opposite. I was taught as a child that being pretty was the most important thing in the world. With that information, I felt that it was my duty, my sole purpose to make myself as pretty as I could. That without it, I would be nothing. Being smart, was not important and heaven knows, having a purpose was stupid. Constantly worrying about how people see you can be exhausting and overwhelming. My insecurities kept me from everything. I didn't know how to enjoy myself. My obsession with a pocket mirror gave people the wrong idea, it wasn't a pleasant sight that I was looking for, it was this overwhelming fear that there might be something wrong, out of place, that someone might see.

Then one day, I decided that there has to be more to me than this. I discovered where my insecurities and low self esteem came from. I didn't want to be like that anymore. I knew that I had plenty more to offer. I was smart and I was good at what I did. I made people feel good about themselves so why couldn't I be one of those people? I know that having confidence has made all the difference in the world for me. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to survive the many obstacles that I have had in my life. I'm happy with the woman I am today. I'm very proud of my accomplishments and I have found my self worth.