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"Hi Glamour readers--thanks for the warm welcome! It feels a little funny to say hello since I feel like I already know you so well--all your personal comments on my Glamour shoots were so enthusiastic and inspiring! I&amp;amp;#8217;m excited to be joining the Glamour fashion team at New York Fashion Week&amp;amp;#8212;it should be fun to have the chance to be on the other side of the runway for once! That&amp;#x27;s me, at my book launch party last September! As Cindi mentioned yesterday, while modeling is my main gig, that doesn&amp;amp;#8217;t mean my interests begin and end with fashion. I was inspired to write my book not only to share my story and help dispel some modeling industry myths, but also to spread the message to young women that nearly everything&amp;amp;#8212;from food to stress, work and fun&amp;amp;#8212;works best in moderation. (In fact, I recently took part in a Nightline &amp;quot;Face Off&amp;quot; panel discussion about America&amp;#x27;s complicated relationship to both dieting and obesity. The conversation will air on Monday, February 22nd in case you want to check it out!) In addition to talking about my own experience with the pressures to be thin, one of the most common questions I get asked at this sort of speaking event is what kind of advice I&amp;amp;#8217;d give girls or young women who are interested in the modeling industry. I usually tell them to follow their heart&amp;amp;#8212;but keep their wits about them and have a few trustworthy mentors on speed dial. But I also mention these little tips, all of which have helped turn a job into a career I love&amp;amp;#8212;and the best part is, these suggestions work whether or not your gig involves catwalks or photo shoots! Treat every job&amp;amp;#8212;no matter how small&amp;amp;#8212;like this is your make or break moment! Some might disagree, but I consider modeling a form of art&amp;amp;#8212;and especially since it&amp;#x27;s my chosen career, I take it very, very seriously. I give it my all at every shoot&amp;amp;#8212;it doesn&amp;amp;#8217;t matter if I&amp;amp;#8217;m wearing a pricey couture gown or jeans and a t-shirt. Like an actress on movie set, I play a personality and wear it as if it belongs to me&amp;amp;#8212;as if I would go get my mail wearing it. &amp;amp;#8220;Being one with the dress&amp;amp;#8221; might even be my motto! Make sure to set aside some time for yourself. Everyone&amp;amp;#8212;from young models to moms of five&amp;amp;#8212;knows it&amp;#x27;s hard to find a few quiet minutes for yourself, but to keep moving forward, you&amp;amp;#8217;ve got to stop now and then. Last night I sat in my apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, wore a green mask that promised to shrink pores and combat acne while also making me resemble something that you might see on Sesame Street! I set the mood with candles (that claim to make your apartment smell like the rain forest) and listened to Abigail Washburn on my stereo. Not so bad! Don&amp;amp;#8217;t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. When I arrived in the Big Apple fresh from Clinton, Mississippi, I thought I had the world figured out. Oh how naive I was. Finding my way around NYC for the first time on my own was a daunting task and I realized quickly how much I really had to learn about life. (Balancing a checkbook was another important lesson to learn.) There was a whole world in front of me, ready to discover, and I was hungry. Hungry for knowledge, life experience, and ultimately change. This job has taken me to many far away places such as Morocco, South Africa, and Paris--places that in my young life, would have been impossible to see. Sometimes I have to smile to myself when I remember laying on my bed in Mississippi, looking up at the stars that I had plastered to my ceiling, wondering where my life would take me, what would I do, who would I be. Be thankful for whatever adventures come your way. This whirlwind opportunity started 7 years ago and through the many ups and downs, I&amp;amp;#8217;ll always consider it one of my life&amp;amp;#8217;s greatest blessings. Traveling to foreign countries, experiencing unfamiliar cultures first hand, being introduced to some of the most eccentric people you can meet (who have been my greatest teachers)&amp;amp;#8212;what else could an inquisitive girl like me ask for? Oh okay, other than world peace and a beer to go along with it! *Ok, so that&amp;#x27;s more than one thing. What&amp;#x27;s your dream job? Got any love-your-job secrets or de-stressing suggestions to share? More ways to get Glamour: Sign up for Glamour.com&amp;amp;#8217;s Style Tips newsletter! Add Glamour to your iGoogle homepage Follow Slaves to Fashion on Twitter! Photo: Getty Images "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/dressed/2010/02/4-chic-little-secrets-to-lovin>