Even If This Isn’t the Life You Planned
By Mary R. Dittman, M.B.A.

For years, men have said that confidence is one of the most attractive qualities a woman can have.

A woman may be beautiful, but if she’s insecure or needy, that tends to overshadow everything else.

And yet — confidence is something almost everyone feels they’re lacking.

From my college students to the professionals I work with, confidence is one of the most requested topics I’m asked to speak on.

So what is confidence, really?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines confidence as:

“Having or showing assurance and self-reliance.”

What I love about that definition is this:

Confidence is based on self-reliance — not external validation.

Why Confidence Can Feel Hard

As single women — especially over 40 — confidence can feel complicated.

If you’ve never been married, it’s easy to interpret that as “not being chosen.”

If you’ve been divorced, there can be a sense of rejection or failure.

And as we get older,...