5 Ways to Boost Your Self Confidence...and Keep Bullies at Bay... July 22 2015

While we may be fueled up on the weekends, sometimes when we get to work on Monday it becomes a different story. We face the cliques that dump work on us and walk away, or we're at school and bullies pick up with the taunting where they left off on Friday. It may even be that bratty relative who tries to pull you down every chance they get. What do you do though when you can't pick up and leave from people that attack you? Maybe you work with them, see them at school everyday or live with them. Use these top tips to help you not only build confidence, but keep it while you're in the middle of what you're going through: Build a Wall: Sometimes bullies and mean-spirited people attack us because they see it gets to us. Building a wall means that you don't show your emotions, but instead, ignore what they're doing by focusing on other things. That doesn't mean that you go run and hide, but you have to show a poker face that lets them know, "It's not working." Also be sure to stay inspired through top ministry messages like Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyer and look to authors like Iyanla Vanzant and Marianne Williamson to help build your self worth and value. Build a Bridge: If you have other people around you, your bullies might not be so forthcoming because they don't want others to hear them bullying you, they only want you to hear it. When others see how they act, chances are they will back off because they either don't want to get in trouble themselves, or they don't want others to know how rude they are being. There's an old saying, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Sometimes this might be an adult, an older person, or someone who frowns on their bad behavior. You also have to determine if your enemy is really a friend but afraid of a stronger person so they agree with everything the lead bully says and does. Know how to spot the difference. Build a Moat: A moat was a waterway that prevented attackers from getting to a castle because they likely couldn't swim. For anyone that's bullied though, it might help to instead, focus on strengthening and empowering yourself. Take a self defense class - not to use physically against your enemies, but to help center you. Take a workshop in self confidence and ways to build up your emotional security - or  you can read books for free online or at your library. Don't bring the books to work or school because you don't want bullies to suspect you're up to something. It's for you to grow and separate from their emotional sabotage. Build an Ark: One way to help you get rid of the thinking others may try to impose, is to get up and walk away. You should take a break, go see a good movie, anything that will take your mind and focus off of negative words others might say to try to attack you. Chances are they are only using words because they want you to feel like, we repeat, feel like you're not good enough, when it's really them. We mention building an ark because it's impenetrable and that's what you need against an attacker. Arks like the one Noah built, was pitched in and pitched out, meaning the water stayed outside and couldn't get in. When you're at school or work with your enemies or bullies, don't stay in areas where they want you to hear them talking about you. Get up and move, put headphones on, sit with other people, and honestly, just say a little prayer for them because more than likely they are really insecure but by finding someone to bully, it makes them feel better. We say pray for them because they are the ones that are jealous of you. You might be smarter, prettier, more talented, and they see it, but they use harsh words to try to make you feel like they really feel about themselves. Build an Army: Want to know something great? You are stronger than you know and you have more help than you realize - You're not alone. Your army can be people who understand you and support you. We don't mean an army against your attackers, we mean build up and surround yourself with people who identify with you and love you. For you to overcome attacks from anyone, whether at school or work, an army of friends can support you and help give you strength because you are stronger than you know. Also factor in that life is meant to be fun and stress free. Your army is also your self confidence. In the Bible, Goliath intimidated a whole army of warriors led by Saul. He taunted them for 40-days. A lot of people only remember the story of David and Goliath as David defeating Goliath, but it's also about how Goliath was taunting Saul and his army through words. Saul was terrified and let the fear of what a bully do get to him. When David approached, he had no fear because he had God in his heart and knew he could do all things! David was fearless and confident in God. while Saul was fearful and let the enemy take away his confidence. Don't let people bring you down and if they do, pray and ask God for direction, but use these key tips to help get you back on track and when in doubt, always use the power of prayer. God has a way of helping us to grow even in the worst situations, so if you can get through dealing with bratty people and their bullying tendencies, you just might see that the army you've built up is your self confidence restored and your emotional security, and you just might have to help your enemy out of a battle or two when they see how strong you've gotten because remember, they're really weak inside. Continue to build your confidence, love your enemies because like Jesus taught us, they really don't know what they're doing, and put that smile back on your face! You are more than a conqueror! About God-Driven-Designs: God-Driven-Designs is a Christian prayer card ministry, blog, and inspirational gift store. Our goal is to help ministries reach the masses through our outreach materials. We're also focused on helping those in need of a kind word or a bit of inspiration to get through all life's trials and obstacles! Shop with us for your summer barbecue, church retreat or your next big event! Our goal with empowering women is to build self confidence, help women take control of their lives, and empower, equip, and teach them about ways they can grow and become successful. We want to fill them with positive affirmations and inspiration so they can grow and reach their full potential, whether they're a stay at home mom, business leader, student, or entrepreneur through our inspirational prayer cards and gift store, motivational messages and ministry.