Think of all the ways society has impacted you. Are you someone who wants to fit in with societies norms or someone who wants to stand out and be different? There is so much social pressure in today’s world that make people feel that they have to look a certain way, talk a certain way or dress a certain way to be considered “normal” in society. Having this extreme such pressure can cause people to change from who they truly are and become someone they’re not. As humans, we naturally want people to like us, respect us and look up to us. But if you have to change who we sincerely are to be that perfect person in society’s eyes, then what is the point?
In the fashion industry, there are many different things that can cause influence people to look a certain way. All we see are perfect models on magazines or on T.V. that makes people think they have to look exactly like them. News flash to the fashion world, being a size zero is not the “norm” anymore. Sadly, many models in the industry still have to deal with the immense pressure of being what many would perceive as the perfect look. This could lead some models down a dangerous path, just as it did for model Liza Golden-Bhojwani.
Today, Liza is a successful plus-sized model who preaches all about body positivity. But for her, being so confident in her skin wan not always so easy. When she first started out as a model she became dangerously thin and would resort to crazy workout routines and nearly starving herself so she could be the “perfect” size zero.
She recently revealed a photo on her Instagram showing a transformation of where she was when she first started modeling to how she looks now. In the recent photo, she has a glow to her skin and confidence written on her face. Even though in the old photo she was successful in the modeling world, you can see the sadness written all over her. Her success came with a huge price, her health. She never felt thin enough, never felt good enough, never felt that she could achieve the perfect body image,
Her harsh realization of what physical trauma she was placing on her body came when she fainted from hunger in her apartment one night. Thankfully, this made her recognize how horrible she was treating her body. This then led her down the right direction and she started to eat more. In the next few months, she started gaining back a healthy weight and realized she could no longer be a size zero if she wanted to be healthy.
For awhile she quit modeling altogether because she no longer had the body that all the other models had. It took a few years after that but she finally started to love and accept her body for what it was. Liza realized how blessed she was with the amazing curves she was given. This new found love for herself made her jump into the world of plus-sized modeling.
Recently, there has been an increase in the amount of gigs given to plus-sized models in the modeling industry. Golden-Bhojwani could not have been happier with how positive everyone was when she returned to this new side of modeling. Now she is modeling for all the right reasons and she’s happier than ever. The pressure of being perfect has finally been lifted from her shoulders and she gained a whole new sense of confidence.
At the end of the day, Liza realizes it does not come down to how people see you but how you see yourself. If you are confident with yourself that will shine through.
Remember that next time you feel pressure to be perfect, to fit in, or to be someone you’re not. Life is about our own happiness and that will only come when we stop trying to please other people and start doing what is best for ourselves.
