Highlights from this Issue
Are You Really Living?
Learn from the Best and Make the Most of What You’ve Got.
By Angella Nazarian
Estée Lauder, businesswoman extraordinaire, understood the key to her success early on. Her advice to people was: "Do you want to succeed? Make the most of what you have."
Indeed, she made the best of her own talents. Her entrepreneurial spirit, her love of beauty, and her keen sense of marketing carried her from the humble streets of Corona, in Queens, New York, to the castles of Europe, building a nearly $8 billion cosmetic empire in more than one hundred fifty countries and territories, that today, decades later, remains iconic. And this executive and entrepreneur achieved all these successes without sacrificing her femininity. In fact, she used it to her advantage.
Understanding who we are and how best to highlight our strengths is one of the most important keys to successful living. Just as we stand in front of the mirror preparing for the day, and dress in a fashion that is best suited for our body-type, coloring and personality, we ought to lead our lives by putting our best foot forward.
For two years I studied and researched the lives of the most visionary women leaders in the world for my recently released book, Pioneers of the Possible: Celebrating Visionary Women of the World. Most importantly, I wanted to understand their approach to life that made each of them so successful. No matter their background, the field that they were working in or their ethnicity, these women thrived by building a life around their strengths, and they were fearless in uncovering their full potential.
Zaha Hadid, world famous and Pritzker winning architect who is enjoying unprecedented acclaim for her multi-billion dollar projects, is a good example of a person whose work is a perfect reflection of who she is. With her stylish Issey Miyake geometric jackets, gossamer layers, and exceptional intelligence, she brings forth a singular creative voice in architecture that is a mere embodiment of her own vision and lifestyle.
Similarly, Marissa Mayer is brandishing a new image for successful women.
The new CEO of Yahoo! has found that being a successful, young, beautiful, stylish —and, most notably, pregnant—woman has not been held against her in the intensely competitive technology industry. In fact, people are applauding her and Yahoo! for embracing all of who she is.
And if you haven't heard, Sarah Blakely's Spanx company was recently valued at a whopping $1 billion dollars. This is due in part to the fact that her signature products revolutionized the way women feel in their own skin, allowing them to feel more beautiful and confident.
Being an authentic expression of who we are is important not only for personal fulfillment, but also in our professional lives. Make no mistake, these inspiring women were not focused on being perfect. Rather, they embraced fully who they were in order to live their best lives.
As Martha Graham once said, "There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique."
Let us all feel that sense of uniqueness and potential in our own lives and encourage each other toward greater possibilities.
Angella Nazarian is the best-selling author of Life As A Visitor (Assouline 2009), and motivational speaker covering topics such as personal growth, identity, travel and fulfillment. She is also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, More Magazine, Intent.com, and has had her award-winning poetry published in New Millennium Writings, as well as several other works in MO+TH publications.
With a background as a professor of psychology for 11 years, Angella Nazarian brings a wealth of personal teaching experience to her seminars and infuses them with the excitement of her own journey and passion to see women reach their potential—mind, body and soul. Her personal motto is, "Live Generously. Live Your Passion." Perfect words for the woman who lives by them.