Can you accept a compliment without giving excuses. Lots of women cannot take congratulations. My late husband would tell me just say thank you. If 99.9% of your work is O.K, why mention that little defect. Even Ivory soap was only 99% pure and it is selling well .

How to get confidence? First you fake it and eventually it becomes habit.

Has any of you heard the old BS about girls not being good at math? That is what keeps me quilting, just to prove "EXPERTS" wrong! There is not a quilter out there that does not use geometry, daily! "If you can use geometry, you can rule the world!" (Direct quote from my geometry teacher in high school.)

Some things I can do because they need to be done, some things I can do because I want to do them, and some things I can learn to do because I am capable of learning. And I thank God for these things every day

I have no problem making fun of myself because...why not? My children do it often. I'm a classic nerd with labcoat and goggles. My self esteem is very healthy, my intelligence has never been in question, and there are many things I can NOT do (walk a tightrope, sit through really LONG meetings with nothing to do). The only time I'm really bummed is when the computer eats something important that I forgot to backup.

I decided to get in touch with the right side of my brain (I'm very left-brain and linear) and make a quilt. In this process I discovered that I am "color challenged" and heavily patterned designs make it harder. Once I figured that out things improved because I developed strategies to overcome that. I make fun of my mistakes all the time because they are really funny. I can resew the same seam three times, not notice stripes are in the wrong direction, etc. and never notice until later. Goofy, yes, laugh worthy, you bet.

Nothing is a failure if you learn from mistakes (in engineering this is called a good failure), share a giggle and a smile, eat some chocolate... Sometimes I see bark and not the tree. Not always a bad thing just differently challenged I guess.

thanks Kellum46!that sure makes me feel better about me and math!

Selm; I learned that also," I am".... and so on look in the mirror and say it, if you can't say anything good about anyone(me??) don't say anything at all! and the can't underlined.

someone else said something about math,I do know why I have had a hard time in math, when I was growing up, my dad always called me stupid and all the negative words when I did the math, so I have a "block: there for math, anyway the other thing, in the era I was growing up, theres a place for girls, and they weren't to cross the line, the stay at home moms(and please I am not putting you dowen "home moms!)but that was the culture I was raised in, and y'know my brother was a wiz at math(still is), weird! so I let the others do the math, now English thats another story, I am very good in that . I even tried to write some stories. which thats another story, and the ones that hate math?? they are good in English

I have learned a lot just being on here, thanks ladies.

Cookie

CarrieAnne, try replacing every negative thought with a positive one, like:

I went to school before, and I can do it again. It will be more fun since I can do it because I want to and not because I have to.

I use math every day. I just need to review what I have already learned.

I'm going to find a great job. I am valuable and have plenty to offer.

You have found jobs before. You will find one again. Maybe you can approach it like this: You are interviewing THEM to decide if THEY are good enough for you to want to work for them (whoever "them" is).

I hope this makes sense. I have had to battle though all these things myself. I have learned that I am much more likely to succeed when I believe in myself. Hope this helps. Big Hugs to you.

Well said, Lab fairy. Life got much more pleasant when I learned to laugh at myself.