through the motions. You have to be constantly
improving yourself. Make your life the masterpiece you want it to be.
You are multifaceted. As human beings, we have so many sides to us. Use all of your ability and talent and the knowledge you
gained along the way that you didn’t even know you had. Do your homework and step out on the faith and conviction that you
can do it, and while you’re at it, send up a few prayers. Ask that your path be guided and directed, and it can happen if
you can step out of your own way.
Learn what you are capable of, and evolve. Knowing who you are doesn’t mean you have to put yourself in a box. A healthy identity
has to be given room to breathe and grow.
I’m not done yet. I will be a work in progress until the day I die. There’s a lot more to this party called life, and I am
going to extract all I can until the party’s over. I want to do something great every year and see it through to completion,
whether it’s expanding on my acting roles, producing more movies, learning more things, or doing something for others in a
way that has a huge impact. I want to learn to fly a plane. I want to write more songs. And many other things besides.
I’m going to stay on this path of self-discovery, even when it’s a steep uphill climb, just like that mountain that seemed
so high, I never thought I’d make it to the top. But I did it, and I did it the way I do everything else—step by step, moment
bymoment. That’s all you can do. Face each challenge as it comes. Don’t look up and let yourself be defeated before you even
start. Just focus on the journey, and before you know it, you’ll get there. And when you finally do make it to the top, you’ll
feel so proud and so energized, you’ll be ready to conquer that next mountain. You’ll know that it was worth every stumble
and scrape along the way. You’ll also discover that, yes, you
are
stronger, swifter, and smarter than you think.
CHAPTER 2
Beauty
In diversity there is beauty and there is strength.
—M AYA A NGELOU
I was loving the camera, and the camera was loving me. Hot music was thumping on the sound system, scented candles filled the
room with a delicious aroma, and the lighting was as clear as the early morning sun. The energy at that photo shoot was electric.
People were dancing. But everyone on that set, from the ad executive in charge of the campaign to the assistant in charge
of keeping my glass filled with water, was focused on one thing: making my first CoverGirl moment perfect.
And it was. Earlier that day, I’d spent more than three hours in hair and makeup. The clothes were beautiful. My hair was
long, smooth, and glossy. My complexion looked flawless. The makeup artist knew every trick to bring out the brown and golden
tonesof my skin. He sculpted my cheekbones, perfected my pout, elongated every single one of my lashes, and made my eyes
smolder with shadows and liner. I’d done photo shoots with hair and makeup people before, but never like this. The so-called
glamour part of my life was always kind of rushed—something I had to squeeze into a jam-packed schedule. But for this picture,
they were going to take their time and do it up right. All the attention and primping truly did make me feel like royalty.
But the best part of the day was seeing those first proofs for the ad. They were gorgeous. It was a whole new look for me—pretty,
feminine, almost angelic. I wish every woman could have a moment like that. The photographer brought out all the beauty I
thought I always had and then some. He shot me gazing away from the camera, an angle I tend to prefer. There’s something sort
of dreamy about those shots that say your mind’s in a different place. You almost want to travel there. It was so gorgeous,
and I felt really proud—of CoverGirl for understanding the fact that there are different types of beauty out there besides
size zero blond models,
improving yourself. Make your life the masterpiece you want it to be.
You are multifaceted. As human beings, we have so many sides to us. Use all of your ability and talent and the knowledge you
gained along the way that you didn’t even know you had. Do your homework and step out on the faith and conviction that you
can do it, and while you’re at it, send up a few prayers. Ask that your path be guided and directed, and it can happen if
you can step out of your own way.
Learn what you are capable of, and evolve. Knowing who you are doesn’t mean you have to put yourself in a box. A healthy identity
has to be given room to breathe and grow.
I’m not done yet. I will be a work in progress until the day I die. There’s a lot more to this party called life, and I am
going to extract all I can until the party’s over. I want to do something great every year and see it through to completion,
whether it’s expanding on my acting roles, producing more movies, learning more things, or doing something for others in a
way that has a huge impact. I want to learn to fly a plane. I want to write more songs. And many other things besides.
I’m going to stay on this path of self-discovery, even when it’s a steep uphill climb, just like that mountain that seemed
so high, I never thought I’d make it to the top. But I did it, and I did it the way I do everything else—step by step, moment
bymoment. That’s all you can do. Face each challenge as it comes. Don’t look up and let yourself be defeated before you even
start. Just focus on the journey, and before you know it, you’ll get there. And when you finally do make it to the top, you’ll
feel so proud and so energized, you’ll be ready to conquer that next mountain. You’ll know that it was worth every stumble
and scrape along the way. You’ll also discover that, yes, you
are
stronger, swifter, and smarter than you think.
CHAPTER 2
Beauty
In diversity there is beauty and there is strength.
—M AYA A NGELOU
I was loving the camera, and the camera was loving me. Hot music was thumping on the sound system, scented candles filled the
room with a delicious aroma, and the lighting was as clear as the early morning sun. The energy at that photo shoot was electric.
People were dancing. But everyone on that set, from the ad executive in charge of the campaign to the assistant in charge
of keeping my glass filled with water, was focused on one thing: making my first CoverGirl moment perfect.
And it was. Earlier that day, I’d spent more than three hours in hair and makeup. The clothes were beautiful. My hair was
long, smooth, and glossy. My complexion looked flawless. The makeup artist knew every trick to bring out the brown and golden
tonesof my skin. He sculpted my cheekbones, perfected my pout, elongated every single one of my lashes, and made my eyes
smolder with shadows and liner. I’d done photo shoots with hair and makeup people before, but never like this. The so-called
glamour part of my life was always kind of rushed—something I had to squeeze into a jam-packed schedule. But for this picture,
they were going to take their time and do it up right. All the attention and primping truly did make me feel like royalty.
But the best part of the day was seeing those first proofs for the ad. They were gorgeous. It was a whole new look for me—pretty,
feminine, almost angelic. I wish every woman could have a moment like that. The photographer brought out all the beauty I
thought I always had and then some. He shot me gazing away from the camera, an angle I tend to prefer. There’s something sort
of dreamy about those shots that say your mind’s in a different place. You almost want to travel there. It was so gorgeous,
and I felt really proud—of CoverGirl for understanding the fact that there are different types of beauty out there besides
size zero blond models,
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