Fake it till you make it

So I woke up this morning wanting to be me, not Betty Draper. I do still love Bets but 2008 has a lot more to offer a girl like me. Plus, she's bound to be struck by liver disease and lung cancer by the time she's 40. I plan on becoming a true renaissance woman and those ailments will most definitely get in my way.

On another note, I've been thinking a lot about the phrase "Fake it till you make it." In one of last week's postings, writer Gretchen Rubin talks about ways to feel happy now. She says that, according to research, "even an artificially induced smile boosts your mood." This is particularly hard for me since I wear my heart on my sleeve but I'm going to work on it. My question here though is, does this logic apply elsewhere? Can I fake it till I make when it comes to confidence, insecurities, feeling beautiful, being a good wife, being good at PR, etc?

I know I fake it sometimes in the kitchen. I do have a solid base of knowledge when it comes to cooking but sometimes I just have to pretend like I know what I'm doing so as not to disappoint DC or whoever else is there (but really, I think subconsciously I'm trying not to disappoint myself). I for sure fake it when I'm at the gym - I pretend I'm hard core in my fancy work-out clothes, headband and water bottle when really 30 minutes on the treadmill is torture and the thought of an ab workout beyond a few crunches is daunting.

Does anyone else do this? Is anyone else a pretender?

This begs an even bigger question about the relationship between appearance and confidence. Before I was married the biggest turn-off in a guy would be "over-confidence" which often translated in to "insecurity." At what point does being a pretender become a flaw?

Too many questions today, I know. Maybe being a pretender is best left at smiles and happiness and not anywhere else.

Thoughts?