In the past, Cara Delevingne has been open about her struggle with depression, and now she’s sharing more of her story in an inspiring new essay written for TIME’s Motto site. The model-turned-actress opens up about her road to self-acceptance after entering the modeling industry at the age of 16 left her feeling jaded and unhappy:
I found myself surrendering to the industry’s approval process. I felt like I needed validation from everyone. As a result, I lost sight of myself and what it meant to be happy, what it meant to be successful. I think it all stemmed from a deep-down feeling of wanting people to like me and love me.
After realising she wasn’t happy as a model, Delevingne’s place in the fashion industry shifted from walking the runway to sitting front row as a guest following her foray into acting (her breakout role in last year’s Paper Towns was well-received by critics). “My vantage point had changed…and I had changed,” Delevingne writes of her career shift. “I knew I had to reevaluate my life and my goals for my future. I didn’t want to resent fashion or my success.”
Now, the actress is focusing on self-love first and finding a work-life balance. “I came to realize that work and getting others’ approval isn’t the most important thing,” she writes. “Yes, your career is very important—but it’s not the most important.”
If you’re in need of some self-awareness and making improvements to your work-life balance, Delevingne’s powerful essay is worth reading in full here.
From: Harper’s BAZAAR US
