Ashley Graham Quote
Start writing a post
Entertainment

This Quote From Ashley Graham Changed My Life

Who knew that words from a model that I've never met would flip my entire perspective?

1031
This Quote From Ashley Graham Changed My Life

We all have words we've heard in passing or that have been spoken to us that have had a significant impact on our lives. Whether it's relationship advice your grandmother gave you or a quote about life from your favorite TV show, the words have stuck with you and have affected how you live and interact with those around you.

Ashley Graham, for those who don't know, is a model, designer and body activist who's appeared on the covers of some of the worlds most prestigious fashion publications. She's been the cover star, on several occasions, of Vogue, Glamour, and Elle, just to name a few. She took the fashion industry by storm with her fierce sense of body-confidence and her rejection of the classification "plus-size" as a model. She's one of the most recognizable models in the industry today. She's even had a Barbie Doll made in her honor.

Ashley Graham gave a speech to a room full of young women on behalf of Glamour magazine, and during her talk, she uttered a sentence that directly changed my thought process and the way I go about living my life. She said to these girls,

"Whatever someone thinks is wrong with you, that's your superpower."

In reviews of her talk and articles highlighting the most memorable moments from the speech, this as hardly one of the main focus points. For me, however, watching the video, it was the single most impactful piece of advice she gave.

Ashley Graham has been a great advocate for body positivity and self-confidence. Since her start in the fashion and modeling industry, she's been extremely open about her struggles with bullies and confidence issues growing up. She's spoken about how people in her life singled her out for her weight, how companies told her she'd never find success as a model because she was plus-size. She relayed stories about friends, family members, and romantic partners that had shamed her because of her weight and tried to get her to change to fit a more acceptable societal standard.

But she wouldn't have any of it. Instead, she took her weight, her body type, and made it her superpower. She chose to take the negativity she was shown because of a number on a scale, and she twisted it into the most positive aspect of her life. She decided that if people were going to focus on her weight, then it would be because she was gracing the covers of magazines, walking runways, and looking amazing.

Part of the reason this quote is so memorable and impactful to me personally is because, like Ashley, I struggled with my weight, my confidence, and people making comments about the way I look. Also, like her, I grew up with this aura of negativity surrounding the fact that I wasn't as skinny as most girls my age. I grew up believing that bigger = less attractive, less likable, less accepted, and just less in general. I grew up drawing a direct line connecting weight to self-worth because that's what was expressed to me when friends or relatives would comment on my body or tell me that "it's okay, you'll lose that baby weight eventually."

Bottom line: all throughout my adolescence (which is hard enough without the addition of body-image issues), I believed that unless my weight was under a certain number, then it was a problem. However, growing up, I also saw and heard so many sermons of self-love and people saying that weight didn't matter, that it was just a number.

But those words never clicked in a way that made sense until I heard Ashley Graham say that whatever people thought was wrong with me, whatever I thought was wrong me, that's my superpower.

I don't have any plans to drop my current path and become a model, but I do see myself, and others, differently. I no longer associate my value with the number on a scale. Hell, I don't even own a scale. The point is, I've learned to love myself, love every single inch and perceived flaw of my body, no matter what the media shows me, and no matter what others say I should feel about the way I look.

Obviously, the path to self-acceptance is longer than a video of Ashley Graham talking about her body-image, but it definitely helped me along. And those words, that declaration of power and ability based on what society thinks I should fix about myself, changed my life.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

39104
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

23618
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

949833
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

128015
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments