Confident or Cocky?

Dictionary time!

Confident ~ Feeling or showing confidence in self. Self assured. Self reliant. Poised.

Cocky ~ Conceited or arrogant, especially in a bold or impudent way.

There's a fine line between cocky & confident.

Cocky people do have self confidence, yet, it wells up from a different place than confidence. Being cocky comes from an external source such as finances, social position, family ties or status. Yank that away, they have nearly nothing to stand on.

True self confidence comes from within a person who knows who they are as well as they know their own limitations, their own shortcomings. They learn from success as well as failure rather than letting it define them.

The hallmark or telltale sign of a person who is truly self assured is one who will admit to their mistakes, apologize if needed. A cocky person will deny any wrongdoing, place the blame elsewhere, then carry on feeling no guilt at all.

Truly secure people will evaluate their own behavior, face their fears. By letting go of fears, you set yourself up for success.

Perhaps this is why, when someone is rejected by another person, the way the rejected one handles it makes all the difference.

A person who is rejected can choose 1 of 2 ways to handle it. Accept it gracefully, let the other person know, it's all good, no hard feelings. Then, there's the other.
It seems that everyone has been in one role or the other in their lives.
The crucial aspect is, did they learn from it? Then, if so, what, exactly did they learn from the painful rejection(s).

This forges a person of cockiness or confidence.
The choice is there.

When I have encountered a guy who is obviously attractive, in great physical condition, seems to have important status, it causes me to pause. I'm a straight girl who enjoys people watching. 
I know that if I see someone as attractive, there are, most likely many other girls who also find the guy as one who gives them a reaction to him ~ THE WARMIES!
:)

Having watched guys like this, it has given me pause to wonder where their self confidence comes from. Money? Status? Intelligence? Education? Physical prowess?
Maybe one of these or a combo!
Um, I'll have the combo, please!

In the days when I first left my parents home, then, entered military service, I was a shy, skinny girl, not much confidence at all. Scared of everyone & everything.

As I went through military training, I was dragged out of my shy little self, kicking & screaming. All of the physical exertion built my self confidence. My body felt tighter, abs were tighter, it even made me walk differently. My older sister noticed the change in me when I went back to my parents home for a visit before going on to my first assignment ~ Hickam AFB. 

At my first assignment, I learned about an AFSC in the USAF.
The PJs!
No, not pajamas.
The PJs or Pararescue guys were superhuman, ripped, chiseled adonis like guys guaranteed to give any straight girl a serious case of THE WARMIES!
I watched them, constantly. Yeah, I had THE WARMIES!

Most of these guys were confident while a few were obviously cocky. All of them had good reasons to be confident, yet, a few chose to be cocky. The confident ones were definitely more appealing. The cocky ones seemed fake, to me.

FFWD
2017

Having had that tight little body, then, losing it, now, slowly getting it tightened up, again, it gives me an important awareness. 
While I was blubbery-flabby, I was easily controlled, easily manipulated, easily intimidated.
As I work to tighten my abs as well as other regions, it brings new awareness as to why people who are in excellent physical health & condition, having never lost it, are as they are.
Some are confident, some are cocky.
Feeling my self confidence coming back as I tighten & tone my body is a great feeling. Walking around in my day to day, feeling my ab muscles flex against my T-shirt causes me to recall the awakening I experienced just starting my adult life.

Whatever happens, I will choose to stay humble, kind, teachable, compassionate, empathetic.

Confident.