If they hadn’t tried to break me down, I wouldn’t know that I’m unbreakable.
Gabourey SidibeRead
People always ask me, 'You have so much confidence. Where did that come from?'. It came from me. One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl. I wear colors that I really like, I wear makeup that makes me feel pretty, and it really helps. It doesn't have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see.
Interpretation
True confidence comes from self-acceptance and self-perception, not external validation.
In this quote, Gabourey Sidibe emphasizes that confidence stems from within and is rooted in the recognition of one's own worth. She illustrates how a positive self-image influences her choices and actions, highlighting the importance of embracing one's beauty and individuality despite societal judgments. Ultimately, the essence of confidence lies in how we perceive ourselves and the decisions we make that reflect that self-acceptance.
In practice
Using this quote in a motivational speech about self-esteem and body positivity.
If they hadn’t tried to break me down, I wouldn’t know that I’m unbreakable.
Outward simplicity befits ordinary men, like a garment made to measure for them; but it serves as an adornment to those who have filled their lives with great deeds: they might be compared to some beauty carelessly dressed and thereby all the more attractive.
Jesus Christ belonged to the true race of prophets. He saw with open eye the mystery of the soul. Drawn by its severe harmony, ravished with its beauty, he lived in it and had his being there. Alone in all history, he estimated the greatness of man.
There is one purpose to life and one only: to bear witness to and understand as much as possible of the complexity of the world -- its beauty, its mysteries, its riddles. The more you understand, the more you look, the greater is your enjoyment of life and your sense of peace. That's all there is to it. Everything else is fun and games. If an activity is not grounded in "to love" or "to learn" it does not have value.
If you wisely invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.
Eighty percent of American managers cannot answer with any measure of confidence these seemingly simple questions: What is my job? What in it really counts? How well am I doing?
I, like many women, buy into patriarchal standards of beauty every day. I very rarely leave the house without make-up. I dye my hair. I wear clothes that I choose carefully for how they make me look to the outside world.
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