“Fake it till you make it”—I couldn't tell you the first time I heard this, or the first time I started saying it and acting by it. At first hearing it you might think, "whywould anyone ever consider this a motto?". I mean, who has ever said they like a “fake” person or looked at the term “fake” in a positive way? Answer: probably close to no one. But let me tell you what this means to me, because I promise I don’t mean that I’m fake or ever strive to be.

By “fake it till you make it” I mean don’t ever let someone see that you don't know how to handle a situation. I mean always exemplify confidence and intelligence. Not in a cocky way, but in a way that says, “I am strong, I am independent, and I can do anything”. By this motto, I mean never let not knowing or not being familiar with a task ever stop you from stepping up and giving it a try. This motto, to me, means always being okay with doing something that scares you or puts you outside your comfort zone. Be fearless and unstoppable.

I believe radiating confidence—especially as a woman—helps you gain respect as well. No one is going to respect someone who is unsure of themselves, whether they know what they are doing or not. You could be the smartest person alive, but if you aren't confident in yourself, then no one else is going to either and no one is going to have respect for you. However if you are someone who is not that experienced, but still are sure of yourself, there is a good chance people will respect you.

Whenever I talk to a friend who has an opportunity they are unsure about because it is in an area they are not strong in or are just scared because they may fail, I always tell them, “Just fake it till you make it—that’s what I would do”. I have grown to be scared that any opportunity given to me is going to be my last, and because of that I feel that I need to take hold of anything that comes my way. What happens if the opportunity I decide to pass up, is my last? I know, I know…that’s pretty outrageous. Of course there will be other opportunities, but who is to say that that one opportunity could have been the one to really change me in any way, or even for the better.

And perhaps these are the reasons why my life motto has grown to be “fake it till you make it”—because no matter how inexperienced I may be for a certain job or position, as long as I know that I am capable of trying and, you guessed it, faking it until I actually gain experience, I will be able to grow. And with that, I will leave you with these quote:

“She’s a dreamer, a doer, a thinker, she sees possibility everywhere”