Instagram Star & Top Model Simonetta Lein on How to Use Social Media to Embrace Differences
Fashion and TV personality Simonetta Lein shares how she empowers millions of people every day to be confident with their body and the skin they are in.
Simonetta Lein is worldly recognized as a true powerhouse. As a model and tv personality, she uses her influence to bring awareness to important topics. Advocating to empower all of her followers on how to smash body dysmorphia, this is a true reminder that EVERY BODY IS A GOOD BODY.
Simonetta Lein
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Q: How do you feel social media has impacted female perceptions of their body?
Social media has given women freedom of being who we want to be, whenever and wherever.
At the same time, filters, and selective information have made many obsessed with being “perfect.” As with any good thing, the other side of the coin can show a dangerous side. We have to start the conversation. We all want to look good on the ‘gram, but let’s remember that it is only one part of our lives.
let’s remember social media is only one part of our lives
In the end it is just social media, literally.
Body shaming exists on the internet, and in real life. Let’s all become more careful with our words; you never know what someone is going through. On the other hand, social media opened up doors to different ways of beauty: curvy models are on the runways, mothers with their babies. Social media can be tricky but gave us also an important freedom to be who we want to be, respecting others and showing that every body is a beautiful body.
curvy models are on the runways, mothers with their babies
Q: How do you use your platform to teach women to love their body and the skin they are in?
I try daily to inspire and sparkle positive energy around me.
As a result, women feel empowered, they often connect to my story and feel that if I did it, they can somehow do it too. I was never shy when sharing my journey, how I had to restart my life from scratch without any safety net.
So many young girls look at what I do as an example. I want them to feel confident and believe they can achieve whatever they decide to be and do. I also share the struggle and the work ethic, as I believe that real results get gained with commitment and determination.
Q: As a woman in the spotlight, do you feel there are social pressures for you to look a certain way?
Yes, absolutely. I feel public figures have a moral duty to be an example and to share topics that can empower and give something back. I sometimes feel overwhelmed, and I had to learn how to rest and how to be even more focused on what really matters.
It is important to surround yourself with positive and understanding people, and to learn your boundaries: when it is time to push and when it is time to rest. When tired, learn how to rest; not to give up.
learn how to rest; not to give up
Q: What advice would you give women struggling with their body image?
I believe in talking with experts if you feel you are really struggling. Seek professional help, as there is nothing bad about it; actually, it requires a courageous person to do so.
I know that whomever is struggling and is reading me has the strength to do the right thing. It is all about perception; we aim to become someone or something else, when the true beauty is your own uniqueness.
true beauty is your own uniqueness
That is what makes us interesting; otherwise we would be all the same, right? Trust me, everyone struggles. When you see the best of us on the ‘gram, that was a process and an effort to give the best, not the representation of the absolute truth.
Instagram is an effort to give the best, not the absolute truth
Get social media as an inspiration, but learn that the world wants your own story. And this is not just a saying.
After years of battling myself with being shy, becoming red in front of my teachers or others, thinking I was never enough, actually having one of my teachers telling me I would never accomplish much in life, I have understood that my issue was comparing myself with others.
When someone accuses you of something it is because that person is personally struggling. If you cannot handle it, please talk with an expert about it but don’t keep the pain inside.
When someone accuses you of something it is because that person is struggling
When I was 16 I was told if I wanted to become a professional model, I had to basically stop eating. True story. First of all, what they told me is not the truth. But at 16 it can be very dangerous. I said to myself that I wanted to enjoy life, I always took care of myself and my body for sure, but I would have never put myself in danger for the opinion of someone else. I was lucky, as my parents guided me well.
I understand that those words spoken a fragile teenager can be devastating. Please, understand you have social media as a possibility to create a name for yourself. That is what I did and at the end I modeled at NYFW and at Madison Square Garden. There is no better revenge that prove them wrong, right?
Q: Where do you draw your inspiration from to empower millions of people on a daily basis?
I sit down, think about what I want to communicate, go through my material and get in my creative mood.
I also ask advice of my husband and my team. One thing that helped me a lot was finally realizing that in the end, we all want the same things. I then started to think what legacy I wanted to leave. When you start to think outside of your everyday life you can easily understand we all have the power to inspire and to make someone’s life better. I think about my legacy, what I would like people to remember about me. That gives me a tremendous inspiration.
Q: How do you teach and encourage people to embrace the differences?
Differences are what are truly interesting in life. We all have to learn to be curious of others, not suspicious. We can all learn from each other’s ways. We have to re-learn how to amicably debate not to argue, how to agree to disagree sometimes. That is the beauty. Thank God we are all different and we can absolutely co-exist and enrich each other.
Thank God we are all different
I live in the US and I remember my first time in New York City, when I fell in love with seeing people of every kind, just being all Americans. It is something that touched my heart deeply, and I felt an extreme power in it.
What if we understand that we are all humans and we can all coexist and enrich each other? Let’s never be tired of sharing love.
Credits
Dress: BA&SH through Shop Sixtyfive, Philadelphia
Photographer: Byron Purnell
Hairstyle: Mecca Jones
Makeup: Elaina Valentine
Stylist: Kate Massih
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Learn More
@Simonettalein
simonettalein.com
With love,
FWO
