We are in a crisis of confidence in the world today. Have you ever thought about this? Kim Gravel’s perspective points out an important highlight of our time. Then comes the question… Why do we forget what it’s like to feel confident? 

We are all born with confidence. When we were young, we were fearless. We believed in ourselves and had big dreams and goals. But then we got older, life slapped us upside the head, and we forgot what it’s like to feel confident. We forget how beautiful, amazing, and powerful we are, explains Kim Gravel, Author of Collecting Confidence: Start Where You Are to Become the Person You Were Meant to Be, (4/25: Harper Collins) Founder Belle by Kim Gravel® and the Belle Beauty® in her interview for CEOWORLD magazine. If you see yourself in all of the above, then you will find this interview extremely interesting.

Q: What are a few of the key lessons you’ve learned from life so far?

Kim Gravel: First, while education is important, experience is priceless. Don’t let your perception of not having the «right» degree or enough schooling hold you back from pursuing your true calling.

Second, it’s never too late to start. (Or, as I say in my book Collecting Confidence, if you ain’t dead, you ain’t done.) You may think you’re too old or made too many mistakes or are too stuck in your circumstances, but I challenge you to pick your foot up and turn yourself in the right direction. You don’t have to figure it all out. The most important step is the first one. 

Third, as my dad used to say, life is like a jelly doughnut. You got to squeeze it to find out what’s inside. When we were in our mothers’ wombs, you were fashioned for greatness. That’s the jelly inside us. How it gets out is the squeeze and pressure of life. All those mistakes, mishaps and messes, that’s how we get to the best part, the good part, which is our true, most authentic self. 

Q: How important is life coaching/having a mentor to a person’s development?

Kim Gravel: It is essential. We’re meant to be in a constant of growth, but as we all know, that can also be really hard.

Growth typically happens during our most painful moments. One of the things I often tell the girls I was helping train for pageants is «Winning Miss Georgia was fantastic but losing Miss America taught me more. It’s the failures that make you who you are. Not the wins».

That’s where having a life coach or mentor can really shine. They’re the ones who can help us navigate through the messiness of life and grow into our full potential.

I personally have had many mentors and life coaches in my life. Most of them didn’t even know they were teaching and guiding me, (in fact, some of them wouldn’t even call themselves a coach or a mentor) but they were instrumental in helping me become the woman I am today. 

If this is something that interests you, I would suggest looking for someone who is doing what you want to do or are living a way of life that you want to live. Next, spend time observing them, asking them questions (if you can) and really paying attention their habits and who they are. See what you can use to help you on your path.

Q: What was your inspiration for your book, «Collecting Confidence»?

Kim Gravel: We are in a crisis of confidence in the world today, and what makes it truly scary is no one even realizes it.

When you look at social media, TV or even your friend group, it seems like everyone is very secure and confident. However, I think it can a lot of hype. That’s just what we see on the outside, what people are choosing to show the world. What’s on the inside (i.e. what’s really going on) can the complete opposite. What I’ve seen is that people are more depressed, anxiety ridden and confused than ever before.

I’ve experienced this in my own life. There was a time when I too had not only lost my confidence but was hiding my light. But, after years of ups and downs, failures and mistakes, my confidence started to grow. 

As I said before, you grow through failures in life, not the wins. And, as you grow, you become more self-assured around your own abilities and qualities, and that’s how you start collecting confidence. 

When I stopped trying to BE SOMEBODY or FIX myself, and instead gave myself grace to be who I was, everything changed. I started to recognize and love my uniqueness and my authentic, true self. Once that happened, confidence came rushing in. 

Everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made. Every one of us is a one-of-kind treasure. We all have been collecting confidence our whole lives through one experience at a time. But life is hard and we may have forgotten these truths. That’s why I wrote Collecting Confidence, to remind you.

Q: You are involved in so many varying projects and you are now an author. What are some of the key elements you attribute to your success?

Kim Gravel: I’m blessed to do what I love. That’s what happens when you discover and start living your calling, as I have. Your calling makes room for you. You are the most confident and successful when you are doing what you were created to do. Once you’re living your calling, success is effortless, which is different from easy. To be clear, success is almost never easy, but if you’re living your calling, it does become natural. So, find what you love and start doing it. It might be outside of your job or occupation. Find some time to do what you love and are called to do outside of your job if you have to and watch your life unfold. Your gifts and talents will make way for you! 

Q: How do you maintain your confidence?

Kim Gravel: One day at a time. The thing about confidence is it’s not consistent. It’s a practice that needs to be honed. A muscle that needs to be worked out. That’s why I call my book Collecting Confidence. We must be continually looking for ways to collect confidence.

We are all born with confidence. When we were young, we were fearless. We believed in ourselves and had big dreams and goals. But then we got older, life slapped us upside the head, and we forgot what it’s like to feel confident. We forget how beautiful, amazing, and powerful we are. I regularly remind myself who I am and that I have a unique calling on my life. You, too, are unique and have a big calling on your life. The world needs more of who you are. If we all take the time to discover our calling and start to live it, that’s how we confidently change the world.

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