I am honored to be involved with CollegeFashionista’s new partnership with Dove. The iconic brand launched their latest Dove Self-Esteem Project campaign that emphasizes that beauty is a source of confidence, and not anxiety; I couldn’t be more excited to stand by a brand that promotes such a positive message and every form that beauty takes.
Dove statistics show that 9 out of 10 girls want to change at least one thing about their appearance. The latest Dove Self-Esteem Project campaign empowers young girls to overcome these statistics and to embrace their appearances.
A few days ago, I co-hosted an event with Amy Levin, Founder of CollegeFashionista, where we led a discussion at USD about confidence and being a successful woman in the work force. I can’t begin to explain how inspired I was after hearing how Amy started her own company in a cut throat industry at the age of 22 and has watched it grow into something bigger than she imagined. Amy encouraged us to be confident taking action towards achieving our dreams. It basically comes down to having positive self-esteem.
Ever since I was a little girl, self-esteem has always been a part of the conversation. It took me years to embrace my tall gene. Even as an adult, I have to remind myself to stand tall with confidence. I’m grateful that I learned to embrace my height and crazy curly hair because they make me who I am. With that said, I hope we can all support each other and celebrate the different types of beauty we represent.
I stumbled upon a quote by Christian Dior a few years ago that resonated with me: “Happiness is the secret to all beauty. There is not beauty without happiness.” I’ll just let that sink in…
One final thought to end on is to always smile and be kind to others; you never know what others are going through and your positivity might be the one thing getting them through their day.
Below is a snippet of my interview with CollegeFashionista about self-esteem:
CollegeFashionista: What gives you strong self-esteem?
Rainy Paul: Practicing yoga is one of the many things that gives me strong self-esteem. It encourages me to learn more about myself on a deeper level and puts everything into perspective, making me realize I am proud of the woman I have become.
CF: What is one beauty feature you love about yourself?
RP: The feature I love about myself is my wild curly hair.
CF: Who is your role model?
RP: My mother. She is the one who taught me to always let my light shine, to never stop laughing and to keep my chin up.
CF: Why is it important for you to rally campus leaders to help younger girls understand the importance of body image and self-esteem?
RP: It’s important for campus leaders to help younger girls understand the importance of a healthy body image and positive self-esteem because they are at the age where they need the encouragement to be the strong, beautiful women they truly are. It’s vital that we stand together and show support for one another by celebrating the different types of beauty we encompass because we are the women they look up to. Young girls need to see an example of leaders that are proud of who they are.
Want to read the whole article? Find it here.
xx Rainy
