The Confidence of a 5 Year Old Girl

 “Are you now going to school?” I asked, as I stepped away from my car towards my front door and my sweet little next door neighbour stood and waited to talk to me. 

We’d already done the “Hiya, how are you?” part of the conversation. Honestly, I have never known of a child with such amazing, adult like manners.

“Yeah”

“Oh lovely, well I hope you have a good day”

“I will!” She said happily and confidently.

This was in November, we’re now almost at the end of January and that conversation has played over in my mind so much. 


“I will!”


My fiancé also has a 5 year old next door neighbour who I adore. She is sassy and I love that about her. 

I will often compliment her on her clothes and tell her “You look pretty” and her reply is always the same. Confident and happy “I know!”.

It always makes me smile.


“I know!”


When do we lose that as adults? In fact, I’ll reword that. WHY do we lose that as adults?


“Have a good day!”

“I’ll try but…..”

“I wish…..”

“Can’t wait for home time and to relax tonight!”


“You look pretty” or “I love that dress”

“Ohhhh no, you’re just saying that”

“Oh no I don’t”

“Thanks but I feel fat”

Never just a “thanks, I feel great!!”


I love giving out compliments. I almost feed off it, I don’t care if I make someone feel awkward. If I like what you’re wearing, how you have your hair, if I like your shoes, if I think you look pretty or smart, I’ll tell you! And you WILL take that compliment.

Which is funny because in therapy I was told I need to do the same.

My therapist would compliment me and I would always hit back with “thank you BUT….” or give an explanation. She told me to practice just saying thank you. No back up. No one needs to know my hair looks nice because I just dyed it so it’s all fresh with no more greys. 

No one needs to know that I feel frumpy or that my eyebrows look good because I just drew them on. 

They just need a thank you.


Couldn’t this be part of our manifestation everyday? 

“Have a good day!”

“I will”

And then replay that conversation in our heads. “I will have a good day”.

“You look lovely” “I love that dress on you”

“Thank you”

Then replay that in our heads. 

“I look lovely today” “this dress looks good on me”.


I have a habit of saying “Have fun!” when ending phone calls with work colleagues. Initially it was a joke when someone was doing something boring but it’s stuck because, despite doing a boring task, let’s call it fun. We might then enjoy it more.

Do that mundane task but listen to a podcast or music whilst doing it.

Somehow make it fun! It makes those tasks so much easier and less boring.

Fun doesn’t have to include laughing but at least getting enjoyment or getting something out of it. 

Listen to a Podcast with Greg Davies as a guest whilst completing a report. Honestly, that will make it fun. 

And then it will become a habit. “I enjoyed doing that report last week because I listened to a Podcast whilst doing it, I’ll do that again”. Sure enough the more you do it, you’ll then find it fun.


It will make that day a good day. 


I didn’t realise the impact these two five year old girls, who by the way don’t know each other, would have on my thinking and my outlook on my day, my image of myself and how to make life easier.


The confidence of a 5 year old girl, that’s the confidence I aim to have.