As if Cara Delevingne wasn’t already an inspiration to women, now she’s taken it to a whole new level with her personal essay about self-love and just genuinely liking yourself.
She’s always been open with her fans, even daring to share about her struggles with depression and anxiety, but her essay published on TIME’s Motto shows a new side of her that deals with insecurity about appearance and approval.
“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,” she writes in her essay.
Her words speak to millions of women who experience the same deep desire for public approval in everyday life. It’s not easy, especially in college where it feels like you have to compete for everyone’s attention, find your niche and secure your whole future in one week. The model and actress is a huge role model for finding balance and personal time while living a crazy lifestyle.
“I still have so much to learn, but I have realized that beating myself up, feeling guilty and regretting past mistakes will only hold me back,” Cara writes. “After all, no matter how many people like you and your work, it doesn’t matter if you don’t like yourself.”
Check out the full essay here. It definitely deserves a read.