Over coming self-doubt preparing for a pageant
It’s no secret that as women, we are critical of
ourselves. From how we dress, what our
body type is, and many other factors we tend to compare too often to
others. This is especially true in the
pageant world. We have several areas of
competition that require us to be mentally, emotionally, and physically at our
best in order to be competitive. In this
blog I will give you my background with over coming self-doubt and some helpful
advice for any of you out there questioning your self-worth!
When I decided to compete for Mrs. North Dakota
International, I had literally just given birth to my son, Bode. I signed up for the pageant three months
post-partum and after I turned in my paperwork I was saying in my head, “What
are you doing?!”. Not only had I not
competed as a Mrs. contestant before, but also I had so much going on at that
time in my life. I was a brand new mom,
trying to lost baby weight, juggling a full-time career, volunteering, and
trying to figure out this hormone thing I had never experienced before.
What I realized though was that I was using those as
excuses, not motivators. It wasn’t until
I sat down with my husband that he finally made me realize that my self-worth
and self-confidence should be at its peak.
Why? Because of all of the things
I had mentioned above! It wasn’t until I
put life into perspective that I realized I was very blessed to have a son, a
full-time career, be actively engaged in my community, and so much more. I realized I was ENOUGH and I could do
it! Those next nine months were some of
the toughest months I had ever been through preparing for a competition. Yet, it taught me a lot about myself.
Ladies, we are who we are because God created us in his own
special way. Embrace you, flaws and
all! While you may set goals and have
great intentions of preparing for your pageant, life happens! What is important is to learn from the past
and prepare for the future. Use
resources you have available to you, resources that will help bring out the
best version of you! Surround yourself
with a great support system whoever that may be. Lastly, look in the mirror everyday and say
to yourself one positive thing you love about YOU! Positive affirmations will go a long ways and
boost your self-esteem during your preparations.
Pageants should not be about competing with the women
standing next to you, but preparing yourself to be the best version of you!
Keeping Families Close,
Laura Schmidt
Mrs. North Dakota International 2018
