Confidence is not created the same. The form of confidence you see most around you is an illusion. People who appear overly confident in social situations are often the ones struggling most with themselves. We tend to mistake their illusion of confidence for real confidence.
From observing my inner attitude towards confidence, I came across one simple axiom: real confidence is rooted in authenticity. If you present a false image of yourself to the world, any confidence you display is an illusion. Maintaining these pictures we want others to have about us not only wastes a great deal of energy but also miscalibrates our inner sense of confidence. We are self-sabotaging ourselves.
Real confidence is found in one, and one place only: your true self. If you are truly and deeply authentic, confidence will follow. But to be our true selves, we need to overcome our fear of rejection, judgment, and countless other limiting self-beliefs we picked up as we were growing up. Our job is to work through them to reach a place where we accept and love our true selves, so we feel comfortable showing this real version of ourselves to the world. This is where real confidence is found.