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10 effortless ways to be your most beautiful, confident self
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Feeling less than stunning lately? These confidence boosters are a game-changer. - photo by Chakell Wardleigh
It's a new year, which means it's the perfect time to work on learning the most important skill: the art of confidently loving yourself. When you picture a confident woman, you probably think of a lady with flawless skin, pearly white teeth and long hair without a strand out of place. Well, if you didn't already know, confidence starts from within, and not on the outside.

If you truly want to find that deeply rooted confidence in yourself, there is no better time than now. By doing these 10 things, you can effortlessly become a new you.

1. Be gracious

The first step to feeling beautiful is recognizing the beautiful things in your life. Keep a gratitude journal to recognize the blessings in your life, especially the small moments that are easily overlooked. Grateful people are easily the most attractive because their positive and wholesome outlook brightens the world around them.

2. Laugh (especially at yourself)

The most beautiful people are those who love to laugh and aren't afraid to show who they truly are. Laugh often, and when you do something silly or embarrassing, laugh about it instead of beating yourself up. Nothing screams confidence more than being comfortable with who you are, even in your goofiest moments.

3. Do beautiful things

Try, do and create the things that make you glow, whether it be buying that new dress you've been eyeing, wearing some sweet-smelling perfume, going rock climbing, listening to lovely tunes or simply serving others. Choose to indulge in whatever makes life beautiful for you.

4. Treat yourself

Take a day for yourself. Take a bubble bath, use a face mask and buy a box of chocolates just for you. The hustle and bustle of the world combined with everything else you try to take care of makes it easy to neglect your own needs. You deserve to pamper and treat yourself to the good things in life.

5. Take care of yourself

Exercise is not everyone's favorite word to hear, but it can do so much for your self-esteem. Getting enough exercise releases endorphins, which work to make you feel happy and accomplished. If you do not enjoy running (or anything else that gets your heart pumping), experiment with different types of workouts and find what's best for you. You can get great results from yoga, or even making your work out a session of jumping on a trampoline. Whatever you do, choose to stay active, because it can do wonders for your confidence.

6. Learn something new

Every person on the face of this Earth has room for improvement in their life. Discover a new hobby or take lessons to learn a skill you have always wanted to master. Dedicate your time to furthering your knowledge and skill set. Try anything that comes your way until you find what speaks to you.

7. Sparkle

Do what makes you sparkle. Dazzle friends and strangers with your smile, accessorize yourself with your favorite necklace, put on some shimmering lip gloss or try a new hair style. Whatever your preference may be, do what makes you shine.

8. Give yourself time

Make it a goal to always give yourself time, especially in the morning. Being late usually means rushing around and stressing yourself out. If you take a little time for yourself in the morning to relax and ease into your busy day, you will find the day will run smoother. Wake up and take a relaxing bath, do some yoga, meditate or read a few chapters of that book you couldn't put down the night before. When you take a moment to take in the world around you instead of dashing through it, you become a more gracious, calm and collected human being.

9. Remove toxicity

Toxic things have a nasty habit of poisoning certain areas of your life, so in this time of new beginnings, don't hold back when removing all toxins from your life. Leave negative people behind, get rid of clutter in your home and eat clean to detox your body. Toxins come in many forms, but they are all damaging in the same way. In order to feel beautiful, you must leave all toxicity behind.

10. Be you

Be yourself; there is no one more beautiful than those who choose to love and appreciate themselves. Be the best version of yourself, whether that means being kind to everyone you meet, wearing sweat pants and a hoodie when everyone else is wearing jeans or simply standing up for what you believe in when no one else will stand with you. You are a unique individual who doesn't need to be anything less than who you truly are, and now is the time to accept and show off the beauty you have within yourself.