We don’t wake up every morning in a fairy tale—stretching out our arms, running to the windows to draw the curtains back and admire what a beautiful world we live in. We don’t sit at the window listening to birds chirp and appreciating the clear, blue skies. We don’t acknowledge that every good deed we do should be celebrated as a victory.
We wake up every morning with the curtains closed, hitting the snooze button on our alarm every five minutes.
Once we find the energy to face the day’s struggles, with one eye open, we grab our smartphones to check CNN and other news apps to learn about murderers, natural disasters, and wars around the world. Then we open our endless social media apps to catch a glimpse into the lives of supermodels Instagramming from exotic locations, successful people posting articles on Facebook about their features in respected magazines, and let’s not forget your ex-boyfriend posting a status update about his engagement and your friend announcing the birth of her child.
Before you even step out of bed, there is someone who has already made it to the gym, someone who found love and had a child before you did, someone who is more successful and inspiring than you are. We are just trying to get through our days, constantly pressured to be like these superheroes of the twenty-first century that are projected into our lives by our endless technology apps. How does our young, career-driven generation make it through the hard times while still remembering to enjoy the journey?
One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that is trying to make you like everyone else. It’s a tough, judgmental society that is always changing. There was a time in all our lives when we could draw a simple picture and feel talented; when we got good grades and felt gifted; when we played sports and felt athletic; when we looked in the mirror and felt beautiful; and when we ate that fattening piece of cake and didn’t feel guilty.
Someone will always be more successful, someone will always be better looking, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. When you see so much success in this world, you should be happy. You should feel inspired. If those people can do it, so can you. Don’t try to be like others; be yourself and make your world the way you want it to be. Success is a battle between you and yourself alone, so concentrate on beating your own goals. You have to invest in yourself when other people won’t. Be your own superhero!
I feel like I have gone through the craziest roller-coaster ride, but I am still standing! I have finally stabilized my company, which is very comforting. I see random people wearing my designs, which is incredibly rewarding. People come to me for advice, and that makes me feel accomplished. I finally realized that my success is calculated based only upon myself. Just because you are not that individual on the cover of Forbes doesn’t mean you are not successful. Compared to where I started, I am a billionaire today. That doesn’t necessary mean I have billions of dollars, it simply means I found my way to get “there.” It’s all about finding your own way to your success.
Some people may think that my journey was extremely difficult; many will think that I am blessed to have lived the life that I have. Some will find my life fascinating; others will think it’s repetitive. A few will find my path inspirational; a few more will simply consider me a moron. The thing is that my life has been a little bit of all that.
Every single person who we meet in this world has a story. We only get to read and hear the stories of those who are willing to share. I decided to tell my story in the hope of inspiring you to live your life with no fear. Some people don’t get the chance to do any of the things that we get to do. If I had chosen to stay within my comfort zone, I would probably have a much more ordinary story. But I wouldn’t be able to write this book full of my mistakes and failures, successes and triumphs. I wouldn’t be the person who I am today.
We aren’t owed anything in this life. We are born, and the rest is up to us. If you want something really badly, you owe it to yourself to go and get it. Growing up in Iran, I could never have imagined being a successful fashion designer, but that is what I am. When I moved to the country where dreams come true, I realized that my dream wouldn’t be handed to me on a platter. I had to create it! I barely spoke any English and never thought I would have the ability to write a book, but I did. I never thought I would be featured in such renowned magazines or go on TV, but I did. I never thought I would find a stranger to invest in my business, I never thought I would get to travel the world, and I never thought I would become the woman who I am today.
But I have.
There are so many things in my life that were once only dreams and somehow, on my long journey, they became my reality. I didn’t wait to see the whole staircase; I just took the first step in everything that I wanted to do in my life. Sometimes I fell flat on my face because there were no other stairs after that first one, but other times I got to run up an entire staircase and see the world from a delightfully different point of view. Most people don’t fail because they aren’t good enough or are incapable of succeeding. They fail because they are tired of climbing and give up before their time has arrived.
I could sit here and cry forever about all my failures, or what I thought I deserved from the Miss Universe staff, but letting go of the past allowed me to have a more peaceful and clear present. Free yourself from the burdens of your past. Grudges from the past are a perfect waste of today’s happiness.
I have learned that the one thing that can give you the best perspective on life is love! Love makes you fearless. You should always look for the good in people and situations. People are often confused by the way that I talk about Iran. They question me on how I could possibly love my country after all that I went through there. The thing is, I can’t change what is wrong in my country. And my country is not the only place in the world that has a problematic government. There are many people who are doing everything they possibly can to make sure that the world knows of the dark shadows we have to deal with. But that’s not what Iran is all about. There is so much more to that nation, its people, and its culture.
I haven’t mastered my career yet. I haven’t even figured out how to fall in love yet. I haven’t done as much to make this world a better place as I want to. But I am trying every day. After all that I’ve been through, I am still standing, and you should be too.
Stand strong, as if all you have is love for this world. Stand strong, as if the sky is the limit and you are going to learn to fly. Stand strong, as if no one is going to hold you back. There is always a chance that you will fall. But as long as there is a chance you will succeed, it’s worth going for.
Become more than just successful—become fearless!