"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?" - Marianne Williamson

As a woman who sometimes battles self-esteem and confidence issues, I certainly doubt myself. I struggle to believe in my abilities each time I sit down to write an article. There are times I leave my apartment unhappy with my appearance. Many days, I have to work extra hard to stay positive. Basically, I am constantly striving to improve this because I want to become more confident. I want to leave my exhausting self-doubt behind. I want others, particularly women, to do this as well.

In today's society, there tends to be a misconception regarding confident women. It seems as if there's a belief that women cannot be both confident and humble. There tends to be this idea that yes, a woman can be proud of her accomplishments and believe in herself, but only to a certain extent. It's almost like a woman isn't allowed to know she's intelligent, radiant and spectacular. She is sometimes expected to respond to "You're beautiful," with "No way, but thank you." Please refer to the lyrics of "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction as evidence. This irrational, foolish concept permeates the minds of women and sometimes affects their self-confidence; therefore, I want to dispute it.

I truly believe that our hesitancy to exude confidence does not always stem from inner doubt. Contrarily, it often comes from fear of our own awe-inspiring abilities, as illustrated in the Marianne Williamson quote. We think we're not supposed to be exceptional - we're just normal, right? We're afraid of accomplishing greatness because we don't think we're entitled to do so. We think we can't fully embrace ourselves, because then maybe others won't like us as much. We think we can't be both successful and humble.

Please pull yourself out of this mindset. Don't be afraid to be great, because not only are you great - you're so much more than that. You're exceptional, and you're being unfair to yourself if you don't fully embrace it. If anyone changes their opinion of you simply because you believe in yourself, they are not worth your time anyway. Your loved ones should empower you, fuel your confidence and applaud your success. Don't associate yourself with anyone who tears you down.

I also want to quash the idea that you cannot be simultaneously confident and humble, because this is completely false. Confidence and humility are irrelevant to each other. You can be gracious, humble and thankful without sacrificing your confidence and self-love.

It's important that you find this inner confidence for multiple reasons.

First, self-confidence drives you to succeed. It gives you courage to take risks, be courageous and step outside your comfort zone. It helps you apply for that coveted position at work, introduce yourself to a stranger, answer a difficult question during class and wear the bold lipstick that you've been longing to wear for weeks. It also acts as your safety net when you do not succeed, because it reminds you that you are not a failure, but rather, you're still working toward your goal.

Second, self-confidence helps to prevent you from finding your worth in other things - namely, a significant other. If you don't believe that you're fabulous, the harsh words of an irrelevant boy or girl will crush you. If you don't know that you're brilliant, negative feedback from a professor, coach or boss will consume you. You must remember your worth when you encounter these difficult situations.

Finally, self-confidence brings you peace of mind, and it motivates you to empower another person. If you are happy with yourself, you will spread love and positive vibes to those around you. You'll start a chain reaction that results in the confidence and empowerment of numerous others.

Believe in yourself. Embrace your confidence. The next time someone says, "You're beautiful," don't deny it. When you come across an exciting opportunity, don't ignore it because you're afraid to fail. You're marvelous, intelligent, vivacious, and one-of-a-kind, and you, above all, should know that.