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My Pretty Face And My BRAIN!
Submitted by: Carmen
SwitzerlandI am a truly believer in The Secret. I am happily married, a Chinese-Canadian living in Switzerland.
I want to share my incredible story with you all. I started modeling when I was 16. I was quite happy doing that job when I was attending university. However, modeling or acting was never enough for me. Although I enjoyed it very much every time I was on set (I love the creative side of it), at the back of my heart I always wanted more for my life. I wanted to use my brain as well. To be a model, sometimes it’s really not as easy as most people think. I invested my youth into this business, but I missed out on my education. I did attend university, but never finished it.
Anyhow, I fell in love with a Swiss guy when I was 21, and I followed my heart and moved to Switzerland. We are the same age, at the same point of our lives. School, living with little money, etc. I didn’t really think through that to move to a foreign country (I did that once already when my family immigrated to Canada) is quite difficult, especially when they speak a whole new language. I just wanted to be with the man who I believe is the one for me. I love Switzerland very much, and I was happy in my marriage, but my professional life suffered. It was very difficult for me the first five years, like many “Auslander”. First it is near to impossible to obtain a working permit, and then it’s the language. I have a background and working experience as a model, what kind of job can a model get in this country? I tell you, not much. I bounced from bartending job to waitressing job, as I worked part-time at bars before when I was modeling. That is all the work experiences I had beside modeling.
After 5 years of restaurants and bars, I was empty and depressed, wondering if my life will end up just like this, with all my creative juice and talented wasted (I was a talented pianist, singer, and painter, but to make a living I was forced to give them up). I was expecting myself to do something great, something that I can be proud of, and because of my situation in a foreign country I was totally dissatisfied.
One day last year a good friend told me about The Secret. We watched the DVD together, and I bought the book right away. My view totally changed. I started really thinking about what I want. I realized what I wanted the most was to use my brain, not only my looks, to make a living. I wanted to work with art because I love art. I wanted a job which I really enjoy going to every day. I wanted to have a really nice boss who teaches me many many things.
Then I started to pray and to visualize getting this perfect job for me where I can grow. One day an old friend was online, we chatted, and she gave me some addresses where I could write to. I told her about my doubts – I don’t have much experience in an office, don’t speak perfect German, etc. Then the message came “Just believe!”
I wrote one letter, to a famous curator here in Basel, which is famous for its culture and art. I introduced myself, thinking whatever, I will just try, I am just sick and tired of serving people! I could do so much more with my talents! Then the next day, an email arrived from this curator. He wanted to meet me. I was very nervous. Before the meeting, I told myself, “Just believe!” I never studied art beside the art history course from school, but I am very interested. I was being myself, smiled, and listened to him. I told him I just want to learn.
Two days later, he called me and told me that I will become his assistant!! I was so happy that I was jumping around. I am now working in the art world, working in the most exclusive and beautiful loft every day. I look into the Rhein river with swans swimming around. My boss loves me, and he even hired my husband (he is a photographer) to document his projects. I have contact daily with world famous artists and important people in the art world. I am learning so much every day. And most of all I am using not only my face, I can use my charm and my brain as well!
Believe in The Secret, believe in yourself!