Bull$hit. The truth. Which feels better? There’s so many great quotes about it: 'Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the world’-William Faulkner.
Back in my model agent days, I was constantly asked to be quieter, smaller, to be less and was asked to keep my personal stories buried because no one wanted to hear them. I tried that best as I could for a while, and it was really hard. Because as Elvis Presley said: ‘The truth is like the sun: You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t going away’. Or there’s this one: ‘You know if it’s the truth by how it feels.’ The truth prevails. And that’s assuring for those of us who are truth-speakers for the good of all, not just to satisfy our own opinions and limited ideas, small-mindedness and ego (But hey. That’s my truth).
So when I’m asked to speak to inspire at events, schools and education centres, I speak…well, straight from the heart. I’m as straight-up and honest as they come because who wants Bull$hit? I freely share not to make me ‘look good’ because trust me: I was no angel and freely share of some of the dumb-a$$ frypan-fire situations my stupidity when I thought I was so clever got me into. You know..things like the time I almost got gang raped in Otara because I went after the free drugs. I found out the hard way there’s no such thing as ‘free drugs’ and I didn’t want to pay the price…you might find it hard to believe but people are usually in tears of laughter when I tell that story (and how I got out of it – in the right way!). I share purely to inspire, open and ignite others to the limitless possibility for them, not in how amazing I am I survived my dumb arrogance and stupidity (but I am amazed I did!). And I also do it knowing the power of the ripple effect.
Because I’m not alone, am I, when I say we want real stories. We want honesty. We want vulnerability. We want to understand. We want to know how others worked through struggle and resolve. More than anything, we want the truth.
So here’s a truthful note from Ali Brill form the amazing Servilles Academy. Mandy Mott and the team at Servilles have always championed me for who I am more than what I have achieved or done, for my vision and the way I see things rather than only what I see; for my work in empowering others rather than simply building models. And they champion me for my truth-telling abilities.
