“Confidence does provide an evolutionary edge,” says Elle Russ. I welcome Elle, my longtime Primal coworker and host of the Primal Blueprint podcast, to the show today. Elle has become an authority on thyroid health and wrote the best-selling book, The Paleo Thyroid Solution, but she is also a multi-talented human with a long history as a Hollywood writer and actor. In this episode, you’ll learn about Elle’s book Confident as F*ck, and and how we can all be confident as fuck too, and live a happier, more abundant existence. If you tuned in for Elle’s first appearance on the podcast when she revealed for the first time publicly that she had a severe disability with her hands, you already know that harboring this secret for many years out of fear of being judged ended up framing lots of her life behavior and self-esteem. Elle is passionate about empowering others to become more confident, and she knows how difficult this process can be, because she actually lived through it. That’s why her book is the self-help book for people looking to level up their self-esteem and confidence, while also manifesting their dreams. Elle is also a huge proponent of the law of attraction and helpful practices like vision board building, and she clues us in on the interesting twist that comes with building confidence, which is that there are actually pitfalls to being a highly confident person. She also cautions us to not judge someone’s confidence based on their ability to do something well: “You can be confident in your ability in something, but not be confident on the inside.” She also notes that: “Confident people make others feel worthy.”In this entertaining exposé on self-esteem and confidence, you’ll learn how to identify and finally ditch bad vibes and negative people who hold you back. Elle calls this “The Downer Effect.” You’ll also learn how to clean up your past through addressing shame and self-limiting stories (about yourself and others) that are holding you back. Elle refers to this as “parental garbage,” which can be both overt and subtle. Elle also makes a good point by pointing out how frequently the most confident person in a room is also the quietest, and you’ll become inspired to speak up for yourself, and take a leap into the arena of self-examination.By the end of Confident As Fu*k, you will understand yourself and the shortcomings you need to abandon in order to kick ass and take names!TIMESTAMPS:Brad talks to another Primal Blueprint co-worker about her experience with thyroid problems as well as her new book on confidence. [01:28]Many doctors are ill informed about thyroid health. [06:45]Highly competent people do not want to show vulnerability or appear weak. [08:54]You can have performance confidence but no confidence on the inside. [12:43]Drawing appropriate boundaries is really important. [15:29]We repeat patterns from our childhood whether we like them or not. [16:35]The opposite of being confident is being a people pleaser. [24:05]Without realizing it, we are surrounded by “downers”. [26:51]Look to see if some of your criticisms of other people is because you want to be right. [32:45]How can we suggest things to other people out of concern without sounding critical? [36:38]In trying to be supportive, be careful about false praise. Praise the effort, not the attributes. [43:52]How does one work through the pitfalls in their daily life? Shame will disable your confidence.   [47:58]LINKS:Brad’s Shopping PageBrad’s early podcast with ElleElle RussThe Paleo Thyroid SolutionConfident as FuckStop the Thyroid MadnessThe Thyroid Patient ManualYou Can Heal Your LifeThe Intention ExperimentMark’s Daily AppleJoin Brad for more fun on: Instagram: @bradkearns1Facebook: @bradkearnsjumphighTwitter: @bradleykearnsYouTube: @BradKearnsWe appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to getoveryourselfpodcast@gmail.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review o