I know that there are girls out there that are not totally confident in themselves and/or have self-esteem issues. In my opinion, in today’s world, it is way harder for a girl to actually be more confident and have a healthy self-esteem because of the image of beauty that some places in the media and in society in general give off. Some girls are more concerned about how to get the curves of a video girl or the shape of a super model instead of achieving their own happiness. They strive to be like those they look up to in the industry. But, what they fail to realize is that those very people that they look up to also have encountered confidence and self-esteem issues.

In a book titled Exactly As I Am by Shaun Robinson, “celebrated women share candid advice with today’s girls on what it takes to believe in yourself.” This book features advice, quotes, and more from many looked up to women including Oprah Winfrey, Vanessa Williams, India Arie, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Janet Jackson, Gabrielle Union, and lots more.

Take a look at some of the words of these women taken from the book.

INDIA.ARIE ON SELF-ACCEPTANCE

I am on this journey to learn where I fit in this world, and to define myself and to love myself. Just like a lot of people reading this book, I flip through any magazine and realize very clearly that there are not many people in the music industry who look the way I do… my nose and teeth and hair — all of it. I’m not the popular look and I am constantly reminded of that. But rather than looking at that and saying I have no place, I make my own place. I hold a place. I hold a space in the music industry that is to speak for the girl who feels like an outcast, the person who is unapologetically different. The woman who says, ‘My money maker is not my body, it’s my mind‘… the everyday woman.

ALICIA KEYS ON DEFINING OURSELVES DIFFERENTLY

There are so many incredible and strong women, but I think the majority of the images that we see on TV, magazines, movies, videos, et cetera, make us feel less than perfect. In many ways, there are so many unrealistic images that are shown to define beauty and they are impossible to live up to. I think they affect us and make us question ourselves. We need more variety in how we depict beauty and define intelligence — there’s so much more than what is often featured.

JANET JACKSON ON LOOKING IN THE MIRROR

I had a very difficult time looking at myself in the mirror. So often I would cry because I didn’t find myself talented or attractive at all. I didn’t have Naomi Campbell’s legs. I didn’t think I was pretty. I didn’t like my body. My level of confidence was very low. I struggled for years — I mean years! [cont.] I think society plays a major part. The women we see in videos and all the stars in the magazines and models on the catwalk are portrayed as flawless. And if you don’t look like that, it could make anyone feel less than.

For more motivational quotes and stories like these, you can buy this book HERE at Barnes & Noble. I think that this book would be a great book for all girls to read.. not just those who are not totally confident.

Taken from the inside cover of the book:

“Entertainment reporter and author Shaun Robinson has spoken candidly both on camera and behind the scenes with countless celebrities. Consequently, she has received hundreds of emails and letters from girls across the country asking how they can be more like their favorite stars. But the truth is, these actors, singers, athletes, and media and political figures are remarkably similar to teenage girls in essential ways: They all still struggle with issues of self-esteem and body image and doubt, and they all, at some point, have compared themselves with their peers and felt they came up short. In Exactly As I Am, Robinson shares both the honest comments she’s heard from young women and the heartfelt and encouraging advice she’s been in the rare position to glean from today’s most notable women. The result is a book that will inspire girls to find their inner strength, grow confident, and believe in themselves.”

All quotes taken from the book itself, Exactly As I Am by Shaun Robinson.