Hiyaah Power's slogan is "No Excuses to Fail...All The Reasons to Succeed." We spoke with a woman who epitomizes this take no prisoners attitude about what it takes to be a confident woman. Joyce Meyer touches over 3 billion people daily on 6 continents with her Enjoying Everyday Life broadcast.
Hiyaah Power: What is the number one obstacle that keeps women from living confidently?
Joyce Meyer: I believe that there are actually a couple factors that keep women from living 
confidently. First of all, I believe a confident woman knows she is loved- first and foremost by God. A confident woman is also positive about what she can do- and not worrying over what she can’t do. Many women concentrate on their weaknesses; whereas a confident woman develops and maximizes her strengths. Many women also worry and let fear get a hold of them. Fear torments and prevents progress. It causes people who should be bold and aggressive to shrink back, to hide and be cowardly and timid. When you face opposition, don’t let fear get a hold of you. Truly confident women are actually challenged by opposition, not defeated by it. Often times they are even more determined to succeed than they were without it.
Hiyaah Power: Is confidence deeper than building positive self esteem?
Joyce Meyer: True confidence can only come from God. Because of the abuse I suffered as a child, I had a lot of issues. On the outside I appeared to be a very confident person with a “go-getter” attitude. I do believe that a person can appear confident without a having positive self-image- I was one of them. I had some of the signs of a confident person such as working my way up in my jobs and holding a lot of responsibility. While I may have looked happy and confident on the outside, I was miserable on the inside. My so-called confidence was not really based on who I was in Christ, but on the approval of others, on my appearance and accomplishments. I believe that one of the first steps to becoming a truly confident person is having a right sense of self-worth which is based on knowing that God loves you unconditionally. Once I was able to understand that principle, my life changed dramatically. I became confident in who God created me to be.
Hiyaah Power: How can women assist one another in building confidence?
Joyce Meyer: The best way to make others feel valued and build their confidence is by loving them- with Christ’s love. There is no greater feeling than that of genuine love and acceptance. Our society today has so many limitations on how we value people. If you act a certain way, than people accept you in a certain way. The Bible doesn’t have rules on loving others, Jesus tells us to love others as we do ourselves. Any person who has experienced the true and selfless love of Jesus will be changed for the better.
Hiyaah Power: What role do you think the media plays in perpetuating negative self body image among women of all backgrounds?
Joyce Meyer: We all know that many of the images we see on television or in magazines have been edited, but the media isn’t trying to make us feel bad. They know that people are drawn to beauty, so they try to sell their products by showing us as much beauty as possible, even if it’s fake beauty. The real culprit who makes us feel bad is our ego, the part of ourselves that finds meaning by seeing how we stack up against other people. We need to be led by the Sprit, not our ego. The Spirit is what comes out of us from the inside- and that is what really matters to God.
Hiyaah Power: What inspired you to tackle this issue?
Joyce Meyer: For most of the world’s existence women have not enjoyed being respected properly, 
nor have they enjoyed their rightful place in society. Women are a precious gift of God. We are creative sensitive, compassionate, intelligent, talented, and according to the Bible, equal to men. God created man first, but quickly discovered that he needed a helper, not a slave, a helper. Eve was taken from Adam’s side- something close to his heart- not the bottom of his feet. I believe that many women have a wrong worldview- one that says we are different and not equal. While we may be different from men, the deception that we are less has contributed to loss of confidence that God wants us to enjoy. God has great plans for all us- women included. It is time for us to be the woman He wants us to be!
Hiyaah Power: How can The Confident Woman be used in conjunction with The Battlefield of the Mind for women’s ministries?
Joyce Meyer: Many of our feelings originate as thoughts in our minds- this can be issues with our body image or self-doubt. It is important for us to have a right mindset about who we are and also about who God is and how much He loves us. My book, Battlefield of the Mind will help to determine what your own thoughts or those of the enemy are versus what God wants us to think and believe. The Confident Woman is a great tie-in because it is geared specifically for women. It will give you some great insight into the Biblical role of women and demonstrate that God does use women for many things- including ministry. The enemy is very good at starting the wrong thoughts in our minds and we have to choose to view it for what it really is- deception.
Hiyaah Power: How do we help the next generation of girls combat the negative portrayal of women in today’s society?
Joyce Meyer: I often say that you cannot give away what you do not have. Women need to have a right and Godly view of themselves and God’s love, otherwise they will not able to pass it on to the next generation. It is important that we study God’s word so we can have a right view of ourselves. Knowing who we are in Christ means we will live bold, fearless confident lives.
Hiyaah Power: What role does mentoring play in building confident women?
