JUST BE YOURSELF

When I first got into politics I was advised to always wear my hair up in a bun and to wear glasses. I have 20/20 vision and wearing my hair in a bun all day gives me a horrible headache. I asked “Why can’t I just be myself?” The answer “You will be judged.” Boy wasn’t that the truth! You will be judged the moment you walk into a room. It’s just human nature to do so. If you’re not a size 2 people will tell you to skip dessert. If you are a size 0, people will call you bulimic. Society will never be pleased, so please yourself. Blondes may have more fun, but are they taken seriously? I’ve learned appearances are deceiving, women’s intelligence is underrated, and women can break through glass ceilings just by honestly being themselves. Just be yourself. If you don’t know who you are anymore, go back to your roots. Try to remember what delighted you as a child. Walt Disney said it best "Adults are only kids grown up, anyway." If you had a bad childhood, try to think of a moment when you felt on top of the World. Once you envision this moment, recreate it. Try to remember the smells, what you were wearing and most important why you felt this way. There is a whole kit and caboodle of reasons for people to dislike and judge you. I saw a Government program shot down because of the man’s likeability factor and how he pronounced “Pillow.” Somewhere down the line you may find yourself in front of a person who hates you just because of your first name! I had a casting director who was scorned by an old flame with my same name. I didn’t get the role. I can recall a famous female attorney named Gladys Cowles Root, who defended gays entrapped by Los Angeles Police Department officers during the 1950s; appearing in court each day with a new hat color and a matching outlandish fashion outfit, she so distracted juries that she never lost a case. Walk like you have three men walking behind you. - Oscar de la Renta

Confidence and self-esteem go together. They are vital weapons needed to face the challenges of life. Lack of self-belief can stop you achieving anything. People with high self-esteem behave confidently. Low self-esteem stops all your efforts to be confident. I’ve had some of the best articles written about me and some of the worst, where 95% was made up garbage. When life hands you lemons you make champagne. xoxo