12 Things Women Who Are Truly Comfortable In Their Own Skin Do Differently

1. Whether or not they wear make-up isn’t a big deal.

They love the way they look either way, and their decision to wear it or not depends completely on how they feel while getting ready in the morning. They dress for themselves, not for the people who stand in line with them at the grocery store.

2. They’re not seeking your approval.

Confident women know that there will always be people judging their life choices, and know that those opinions are just that: Opinions. They can choose to heed your advice or ignore it completely, because ultimately, whether you’re happy with how they’re living their life isn’t a concern to them. All that matters is that they are happy. Not you.

3. Their happiness is not dependent on being in a romantic relationship.

If they’re in a relationship? Great! If they’re not? Also great! They learned long ago that the secret key to happiness cannot be found in another person until they found it in themselves. All that really matters is that they’re happy with who they are and who they’ve surrounded themselves with, regardless of whether that includes a romantic partner.

4. They aren’t afraid to be unapologetically themselves.

To be human is to be flawed, and confident women are no exception to that rule. But when women are truly comfortable with who they are, they’re okay owning all their different sides — the great stuff and the not-so-great stuff. They don’t bow down to any specific version society wants them to be. They’re only concerned with living their most authentic truth and let everything else fade into the background.

5. They are genuinely happy for the success of other women.

While they’re always striving for self-improvement, confident women know not to belittle other women for accomplishing something that perhaps they haven’t yet done themselves. They don’t feel the need to be in constant competition. Instead, they’re happy that other women are excelling all around them, and use those success stories as inspiration for their own lives.

6. They understand their own value and importance.

They know exactly what they deserve and refuse to accept anything less. Self-love is a crucial part of their life, and rightfully so. It’s not conceited to know what you’re worth, and women who practice this? They tend to lead much more fulfilling and satisfying lives because they recognize their own importance.

7. They aren’t afraid to ask for what they want.

People aren’t mind readers. We seem to always forget that, just hoping/praying we’ll get the things we want without having to verbalize them. But that’s not how things work. It’s not always easy to approach people about things you want, whether in relationships, job situations, home life, etc. — but women who are secure know how important it is to let people know what you want. We don’t all get what we want, and that’s just a fact of life, but you especially won’t get them if you don’t even take a chance and ask.

8. They don’t make excuses for the bad things in their life.

Rather than complain about any unhappiness in their life and listing off the reasons why it’s out of their control, these women take the initiative to work towards solutions to their problems. If they’re feeling sad, they allow themselves to wallow and just be sad for a while, because they know that that emotion is just as healthy as happiness. They feel what they need to feel and then begin to move forward, no excuses needed.

9. They are perfectly okay with being considered silly or weird.

Someone catch them singing and dancing at a red-light to One Direction? It doesn’t bother them. Any moment of embarrassment gets washed away pretty quickly and they decide to just go with it instead. They know it’s okay to poke fun of themselves from time to time. Life is far more interesting and entertaining that way.

10. And on the other hand, they take themselves seriously and demand respect.

They can be a goofball one second, but that doesn’t mean they don’t require a basic level of respect by people in their lives. Going back to number 6, they know their worth, so they won’t waste their time on anyone who treats them poorly. Bye Felicia/Felipe. Not interested.

11. They take chances.

They aren’t afraid of taking risks. When they try something and it fails? Better luck next time. They figure out the silver lining, take note of what they learned, and get back up.

12. They still have moments of insecurity.

They are still humans. Humans who are susceptible to moments of vulnerability, jealousy, irrationality, etc. It doesn’t matter how confident they are, they will still have their moments. And that’s perfectly okay. Because we all do.