Let me begin by bragging, just a little. Right now at this point in my life I am happy and proud to be. I am truly really happy. I am not happy because everyone around me is, or because everything in my life is perfect. Truth is, some people around me are negative and unhappy, and I know my life will never be perfect. The real truth is, I am happy because I believe in myself and what I am doing with my life. I am at peace with who I am. I am confident. There is a huge difference between being confident and cocky, though. One might mistake my slight brag as me being cocky. But have you ever noticed that cocky people are usually miserable?

Someone who is cocky can be described as overly confident, arrogant and someone who assumes they know everything. We all know these people. We dread listening to them talk about how great they are. We avoid having to hear what their latest achievement was and try not to react when they brag how superior they are to their peers.

Confidence is being self-assured. Cockiness is being self-assertive. There is a difference. It’s a fine line that we walk and sometimes struggle with. Some people might use their cockiness as a way to make themselves seem confident. They wear it like a tight mask. It's like confidence, the belief you have in yourself and your abilities, is your natural beauty and cockiness, the forced belief in these things, is the mask of pounds of make up to “enhance” your natural look. No, do not get me wrong—I wear make up all the time, but you get the idea. The real matter is how one stays confident without fear of being perceived as cocky. Should it matter? Yes, we like to think our confidence doesn’t come from the justification of others. But no matter how much we say we don’t care what others think, we do. Deep down, we all want others to like us. We are social creatures, and we crave attention. But why do we rely on them to gauge the value we put in ourselves? I think this is where the line lies.

Cockiness is when you see yourself the way you think others want to see you. You hold yourself to their standards and then force yourself to believe in the image they created for you.

Confidence is when you are able to look at yourself as you are, flaws and all. You hold yourself to the standard you set for yourself based on how you want to be perceived by others. You believe in the image you create.

That is how you gain confidence: taking control and simply believing that you have the power, and believing in the power that is already in you. Its not about claiming to be perfect all the time. Its not about putting on a show to prove something to someone. Its about realizing that you can control how you present yourself to the world and understanding that you cannot control how others will react, and that is where I find my happiness. In being myself. They say confidence is key. Key to what? To finding happiness in all that you do, no matter what.