Tao Okamoto Quotes

If I was to meet my eight-year-old self, I would say, 'Don't listen to what they say about you. Wear your anorak with pride!'

I know who I am and I know who I'm not. I'm different, yes, and I am big. But I love who I am.

Everyone is beautiful in their own way, and nobody should have self doubt.

I've found that embracing the things that make me a little strange and different from other people, and learning to love that, makes me feel beautiful and fashionable every day.

I think that each woman, whatever age, needs to recognize something good in her body. Someone has beautiful legs, someone has beautiful hair, someone else has beautiful decolletage or a beautiful waist or beautiful hands. Everyone has something great.

I was totally picked on, but look at me now! I was definitely picked on by boys and girls. I was really lanky and skinny and the boys would say, 'Turn sideways and stick out your tongue, you look like a zipper.'

When I wasn't as attractive as I am now, I suffered at the hands of cruel children and their taunts until I realised that confidence and a bit of aesthetic care can overcome that.

You are one of a kind and unique. Never forget that.

I think it's real easy to look at what's out there and get discouraged. I was never the best-looking guy, I was never the Tom Cruise-looking guy. I think the biggest thing I can say is, 'Don't compare yourself.'

I've finally learned to love my voice for its uniqueness.

I have two younger sisters and I'm such an advocate of owning who you are as a person. Don't be ashamed or intimidated. Never feel like you are not amazing.

It's so important for women to say to other women, 'I like myself how I am.' But it's hard because in your heart of hearts you are thinking, 'I don't really.' But you have to learn to say it. Imagine what a world it would be if people felt good about themselves the whole time.

All people - African, European, American - worry about being different. But I've learned that the traits we'd rush to get rid of are the very ones that others desire. People always covet what they don't have. That's why we should look at ourselves every now and then and say, 'I'm proud of myself. I like the way I'm made.'

Being yourself is very sexy, you know?

I'm in the eighth grade and am not the height of the rest of my class. But I don't worry about that. I'm just me!

When I was in school, I got there on the first day and everyone had long, blonde, straight hair, and I had short, dark, curly hair. I immediately felt I didn't fit in and started growing my hair. But I've learned that I'm only happy when I am truly me and feel comfortable and confident in myself.

I am proud of being small.

Whipping your hair means not being afraid to be yourself.

I want to encourage women to embrace their own uniqueness. Because just like a rose is beautiful, so is a sunflower, so is a peony. I mean, all flowers are beautiful in their own way, and that's like women too.

I was always the funny-looking girl. I couldn't compete with the Brazilian girls. My nose is off, my ears are too big. But I think it's my personality that these designers were drawn to.

I'm not ashamed to be me. More than anyone else I know, I love my life and accept myself. What's wrong with being unique? I am proud of everything that I am and will become.

I always felt different as a kid, and the Kinks were like, 'Yeah, we're the Kinks.' Celebrate your difference; don't be afraid of your sense of humor, or your personality, or who you are. It emboldened me.

Since I don't look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good.

Don't let that nagging fear - that feeling that being different automatically qualifies you as being wrong - eat away at you.

You literally just have to celebrate who you are, because that's a beautiful thing.