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From the streets of Compton to the courts of Wimbledon, Serena Williams has always believed she was the best. 'I always believe I can beat the best. Achieve the best. I see myself in the top position. ' This wasn't arrogance; it was a survival strategy. In a sport that wasn't built for her, she had to be her own biggest fan. She teaches that confidence is a shield that protects you from the doubts of others.
"If you can't believe in yourself, then you can't expect anyone else to believe in you."
"I don't focus on what I'm up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest."
"Since I don't look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good."
"The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble."
"I don't let anyone or anything define me. I define myself."
"With a defeat, when you lose, you get up, you make it better, you try again."
"You can be whatever you want to be, but you have to work for it."
"Winning is great, but it's not everything. What's everything is the pride you have in your work."
"I am a woman and I am a warrior."
"I've had to learn that it's okay to not be okay, but it's not okay to give up."
"I'm not used to crying. It's a little difficult. All my life I've had to fight. It's just another fight I'm going to have to learn how to win, that's all. I'm just going to have to keep smiling."
"I think you have to love yourself before you can fall in love with anyone else. I mean, you have to really love yourself and be happy with who you are."
"I love who I am, and I encourage other people to love and embrace who they are. But it definitely wasn't easy — it took me a while."
"I don't like to lose — at anything — yet I've grown most not from victories, but from setbacks."
"You just have to prove to yourself that you can go out there and be the best that you can be and not prove anything to anyone else."
"Overpower. Outwork. Outlast."
"I've always been very confident, and I've always been very bold."
"I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall."
"I am what I am. I love who I am. I love my curves and I feel confident."
"You have to be your own cheerleader."
"Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come."
"My smile is my favorite part of my body. My smile is a symbol of my confidence."
"I'm really exciting. I smile a lot, I win a lot, and I'm very sexy."
"I’m not a loser. I’m a winner. I’m a champion."
"Turning 30 was huge for me. I felt like a grown-up."
"Everything comes at a cost. Just what are you willing to pay for it?"
"I’ve never been the one that’s supposed to win. I’ve always been the underdog."
"Am I the greatest? I don’t know. I’m the greatest Serena."
"Am I the greatest? I don't know. I'm the greatest that I can be."
"The day I stop being a student is the day I stop being a champion."
"If I'm not doing well, I'm going to keep fighting until I do do well."
"I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger."
"I've always been a dreamer and I've always been a fighter."
"Pressure is a privilege — it only comes to those who earn it."
"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does."
Seeing how Serena Williams approaches Confidence helps you apply the idea with more precision.
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