Journey to self-love

The journey to self-love is often fraught with challenges, and for some, having small breasts can exacerbate these insecurities. Here, we share the inspiring story of Clara Dao, who proudly accepts her flat chest (cup size 32AA) and understands these challenges first-hand. She has learned to embrace and love her body despite feeling like she doesn’t fit conventional beauty standards.

Get to know Clara’s path to self-love here

This inspiring message was shared by Clara Dao, among others, whose video served as the starting point for this article. She encourages people around the world to love themselves and celebrate their uniqueness.

Influence of the media

In today’s media-driven world, there is a prevalent image of the “ideal” body, often portrayed by curvy models with larger breasts. This image can lead to unhealthy comparisons and feelings of inferiority for those who don’t fit this mold. Clara emphasizes that this stereotype should not define one’s self-worth. She encourages people to critically scrutinize the media and move away from unrealistic beauty standards.

The importance of self-confidence

Regardless of breast size, the key to feeling sexy and confident lies within yourself. Clara passionately argues that self-confidence, self-love and self-esteem are the true ingredients for sexiness. She emphasizes that true beauty comes from within and that self-acceptance is the key to a fulfilling life. If you believe that you are sexy, no one can take that away from you. Your self-confidence radiates and attracts others.

Chest size: Irrelevant on the whole

We want to emphasize that once you learn to love yourself for who you are, the size of your breasts becomes irrelevant. It’s about appreciating your unique beauty and understanding that true connections are built on character, personality and intellect, not just physical features. Clara encourages you to celebrate diversity and individuality and to let go of superficial judgments.

Not every opinion counts

We recognize that personal preferences vary, and some people may find small breasts unattractive. However, we strongly emphasize that it is not necessary to put the opinions of others above your own self-perception. There are people who appreciate and love flat breasts just the way they are, and those people are the ones who matter. We encourage you to focus on those who value real personality and not just superficial features.

Journey to self-love and self-acceptance!

In summary, her story encourages us to embark on the journey to self-love and self-acceptance. She reminds us that we were created perfect and that true beauty lies in accepting your individuality. Accept your uniqueness, be good to your body and be proud of who you are, because you are beautiful just the way you are. In a world that often pressures us to conform to certain standards of beauty, loving yourself unconditionally is a powerful act of resistance and self-empowerment. This story aims to encourage us to free ourselves from societal stereotypes and celebrate our own beauty in all its facets.

Interview: Bras, especially for cup AA, A and B

They make bras especially for cup AA, A and B! In our interview, we will dive deep into the personal experiences of Bianca and Gabriele. How did they perceive their own experiences with a smaller bust size? Have they ever experienced challenges or insecurities about their body image? And how did they manage to accept their breast size not as a problem, but as part of their beauty?

• Interview x AIKYOU

Feli’s own fashion brand “felicious

FIV: Feli, you have your own fashion brand “felicious” – how cool! Tell me, when did you found it and what exactly is behind it?

Feli: I actually just started “felicious” this year. However, I have been thinking about starting my own brand for a long time. This idea came to me when I was 12 or 13 years old, during my first experiences in social media. Even then I had the desire to create my own pieces and the idea has now accompanied me throughout the years and became more and more present.

After my high school graduation, I finally decided to turn this dream into reality step by step. Since January this year, my first collection is now available. Nevertheless, many more exciting projects are waiting in the wings. At the moment my collection is limited to jogging suits, which perfectly fit my style and which I personally love. Nevertheless, I have big plans for the future that go far beyond jogging suits.

• Feli’s Instagram
• Feli’s TikTok
• Fashion brand Felicious

Credits @videozeugs

What is behind the successful podcast “life is felicious”?

FIV: You even have your own podcast – “life is felicious”! What was the inspiration behind it and what topics do you discuss there?

Feli: I started using my social media platforms for more serious topics quite early on. Originally, I created a video format on TikTok called “Tips from your big sister Feli.” In these clips, I held a small microphone and talked about aspects such as mental health, body image, insecurities, and the like. Although the clips were very short, they were tremendously well received, indicating the interest and importance. I’m particularly attracted to the opportunity to go beyond the boundaries of conventional beauty and styling tips on social media and address truly “meaningful” topics. It’s important to me to give people the feeling that they are not alone with their challenges.

I want to show that even I, who in some ways is portrayed as supposedly “perfect” in the social media bubble, struggle with and address issues. In my podcast, I talk about diverse topics such as increasing self-esteem, building self-confidence, the difficulties of living in the moment in the age of constant smartphone use, and how to stop comparing yourself to others on social media. These topics are especially relevant to teens and young women. My inspiration ultimately came from my own experience writing my TikTok series at the time.

Here you can listen to an exciting episode in which Feli gives her listeners tips to stop comparing themselves to others and to be happy with themselves:

Inspiring content infused with unique authenticity

FIV: Your content is super diverse and inspiring. How do you manage to stay creative, come up with fresh ideas and not miss any trends and developments on social media?

Feli: Oh, thank you very much. It’s actually the case that I don’t really follow trends very closely. Since I’ve been particularly active on platforms like TikTok, I’ve sort of created my own individual DNA. Trends are often associated with specific sounds. Since I speak in most of my TikToks, I’ve settled on some recurring video formats. Of course, I do take trends like “Get Ready With Me” or even specific songs for my content.

Nevertheless, I always try to interpret these trends in my personal way and not to be guided exclusively by external developments. An example of this is advice or vlogs from my life. Ultimately, I would say that my inspiration comes from my own life. Many people appreciate it when I let them participate in my everyday life and give private insights.

Credits @videozeugs

FIV: With 3.9 million followers on TikTok and 1.4 million on Instagram, you obviously reach and inspire an enormous amount of people. What message(s) do you want to convey to your community and how do you want to positively impact their quality of life?

Feli: I try to show my community that they should not compare themselves with other people on social media or in general. That’s why it’s important to me to remain as authentic as possible and to present things as they really are. For example, most recently I posted a video in my apartment: in the video everything looks supposedly perfect, super aesthetically pleasing with lots of pink details, a yoga routine, etc.

The video, however, didn’t really reflect my daily life; it wasn’t an actual representation of my daily routine and that’s exactly what I tell my followers. I think it’s so important to share information like that. Because often they think that I actually get up at a certain time, do yoga and it always looks so perfect at my house and then put pressure on themselves.

I also share pictures where I’m not particularly elaborately styled. I always think that there is little point in pretending to be me on social media. It seems pointless to me to portray myself as someone I’m not at all. That’s exactly the message I want to send: “Hey, this is really me. I often don’t look perfect either and I have my own challenges.”

Beauty ideals & perfectionism on social media

FIV: That sounds super authentic! As we all know, social media can lead to an unrealistic image of perfection. How do you deal with this yourself and how do you encourage your followers to stay true to themselves?

Feli: That’s basically what I tried to point out in the previous question and a topic that I also adressed in my first live show. Personally, I have less and less difficulty comparing myself to other people or emulating an unrealistic beauty ideal. That’s a message I always convey to my followers: someone else’s beauty doesn’t take away from your own.

This realization helps me to deal with it myself. I know that this feeling is familiar to many. As the saying goes: a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. It’s comforting to know that everyone feels this way at times. In fact, even those who are considered beautiful tend to compare themselves to others. It’s a never-ending cycle. Especially on social media, only a fraction, a few minutes of their entire day is shown, only small snippets of their positive experiences and successes. There is so much more going on behind the scenes that we will never know about. We only see the perfect surface. I try to make my followers aware of this and bring them closer to this perspective.

Credits @videozeugs

Feli’s personal student calendar: “Take it easy”!

FIV: You published your own student calendar this year which was even among the Amazon bestsellers! Congratulations! What were your thoughts and the concept behind it?

Feli: I graduated from high school last year. Especially during my high school years, I felt a lot of pressure to perform. That’s why I found the idea of creating a student calendar particularly fitting. The idea behind it was to create this calendar for those who are going through similar experiences and should try to alleviate the pressure a bit.

The calendar bears the motto “Take it easy” and is intended to illustrate the idea of not stressing yourself out unduly. School grades and achievements do not show the whole picture and a person’s intelligence can by no means be measured by their grades alone. The calendar contains motivational sayings and offers variety, such as Halloween costume ideas or similar content. It is simply intended to bring joy and fun into everyday school life.

Credits @videozeugs

Future outlook: Exciting projects & lots of anticipation

FIV: Can you tell us if you have any other exciting projects planned in the near future that you are looking forward to? Be it with your brand, the podcast or maybe even something completely new?

Feli: I’m super happy that this year is the most eventful year for me so far. There are so many exciting projects that are already in the planning stages, including some that you probably won’t hear about for a few years. Right now, though, we’re in the planning stages of a podcast tour. I don’t want to make any firm commitments here yet, but after my show’s successful kick-off event, we’re thinking about doing a tour. The idea is to travel to different cities and present the podcast live in front of an audience.

As for “felicious”, I am planning a fall-winter collection for this year. This collection will be my first to go beyond the previous jogging suits. It will include stylish pieces such as pants, crop tops ‘. I can’t reveal too much yet, but the collection will definitely go in the direction of streetwear style, which I would like to pursue. So there’s a lot happening and I’m looking forward to the future with anticipation.

FIV: Thank you very much for your time. Good luck for your next projects!

Credits @videozeugs

Vivian Cole: Successful as a model since GNTM

FIV: Hello dear Vivian, how nice that it worked out with the interview today! Model With A Message – we immediately became aware of your profile! This beautiful sentence holds one and makes curious for more! Many know you from GNTM where you participated in 2020. Your perseverance has brought you far and you have even made it into the top 10 models 2020! Since the end of the season, some time has passed, how are you doing at the moment? What has happened to you since your time at GNTM?

Vivian: I’m doing great! A lot has happened in that time. I’ve been able to do a lot of work in Mental Health and with important organizations, I’ve launched my own jewelry collection and I’ve been doing further training to become a Mental Coach since the beginning of the year. Right now I am working on current and future goals.

GNTM Highlight: Entry into the Top 10

FIV: GNTM must have been a good start for your life as a model. You made your own experiences there with the model business and it was certainly not always easy! Still, you stuck it out as long as you did and showed everyone what you could do. Were there ups and downs that you remember fondly and would you participate in the show again at your current level?

Vivian: Definitely! It was a challenging, yet incredibly beautiful and unique experience, in every area. But then I would come out of myself sooner and show even more of myself. What was difficult was the time when my health went on strike and I could only slowly return to my normal physical performance due to the after-effects, which is why I had to drop out in the end. But I have so many more great memories: making it to the top 10, my interview on TV about Mental Health, the many different places and people I got to meet!

Photo: Fab4Media

Vivian Cole: Your way to more self-love!

FIV: For many, the modeling business is daunting, full of Photoshop and perfectionism. You are a very natural model and also dare to post pictures without much make up, which we think is really great! We wonder, how big is the pressure in the business to always be “perfect”? How do you deal with it best?

Vivian: Social media in particular was a challenge for me. The pressure was enormous at the beginning. I have learned, especially in the last year, what self-love really means and how I can best distance myself in a healthy way from the pressure and unrealistic expectations. For example, I now only follow people who inspire me and stopped comparing myself to others when I learned how much editing, posing and lighting is behind the seemingly perfect (self-)presentation and how unrealistic it can be. The more I work on my own self-worth to do this as well, the easier it then slowly becomes to post images that are not “perfect”. It is a process.

This is how Vivian deals with her mental illness!

FIV: Model with a message – that also includes showing yourself as you are. I’m very interested in this question – can you make a statement for our readers about what your message is and what you want to give to people with your feed?

Vivian: I want to inspire, inspire courage, inspire hope. As a person who has lived with mental illness for more than ten years myself, but has found his own way out, I want to show what can happen when you prioritize working and healing on yourself and your inner self and surrender to the process; that these open whole new doors in our lives and our path to our own happiness. Challenges and lows will always be a part of it, but we can learn to actively shape the process ourselves and also to deal differently with difficult times.

Photo: Fab4Media

The model educates her followers about Mental Health!

FIV: You talk about mental health on your channel and give tips on how to deal with depression and bad thoughts. You have a message here, too, because you’ve been suffering from mental problems since childhood. How do you deal with it when you’re feeling down? Do you have any tips, for people who feel the same way, on how to best get through this time?

Vivian: That’s what I always tell my community: let the feelings be and share them with the right people. Write down your thoughts to give them space and sort them out. I always try to treat myself like my best friend, especially in difficult times. Every day I take time just for me, even if it’s just 10 minutes. Daily walks are the order of the day, because exercise and nature are two very important factors for holistic health for me. Being mindful with myself has changed a lot for me; listening to what my body and mind feel and need. This is not a skill for me, but a way of life by now.

That’s why Vivian speaks openly about her experience with depression

FIV: Positive thoughts are one of the hangers-on in your profile – you share them with the world and want to show people how to see life more positively. Unfortunately, depression is still a rather unspoken condition in our society, people don’t like to talk about it. What gave you the impetus to share your story and raise awareness about depression?

Vivian: My dad passed away in early 2019, which was a hard event for me, but at the same time the trigger for my life change. Three months after his death, I came across a film about the impact of our mindset on our lives, and although I’ve always known it, at that moment it became clearer to me than ever: “There will be no one to take all this away from you. It’s entirely up to you where you go from here.” For the first time, I wholeheartedly decided to heal and came to terms with myself. After a few weeks, I noticed more progress than ever before. The big audition for GNTM, one of my big dreams, was coming up months later after that and I knew I wanted to take this chance. It was there that I spoke publicly about my experience for the first time, with the hope of encouraging other people with similar experiences.

Photo: Fab4Media

Tip for young models: Use GNTM as a springboard, but also work on your own career!

FIV: You were still young when you started modeling. Aside from GNTM, what advice would you give to other/ younger models to start their career or would you recommend GNTM as a career start? Do you have any tips that you can/ would like to give to younger models for their career?

Vivian: GNTM is about modeling, of course, but primarily it’s more about entertainment. Accordingly, it can be a stepping stone, but there’s no guarantee. Regardless of that, I would try to gain as much experience as possible, actively approach photographers and model agencies myself, work on charisma and posing, and simply dare!

How the model motivates itself

FIV: As a model, you certainly have to show a lot of discipline and perseverance, but you certainly also have cheat days when you would prefer to do nothing at all. What is your recipe against listlessness, how do you motivate yourself to pursue your dreams?

Vivian: I have learned to listen consciously and mindfully to my inner self. When I feel listless or have a bad day, I give myself the rest and time out I need. But for me, every day is a new opportunity and discipline picks up where motivation leaves off. Each person has to find their individual and personal “something” that sparks fire and joy in them, that makes them get up every morning and keep going. I motivate myself by visualizing my goals, acknowledging my progress so far and setting deadlines for myself. What also helps a lot: Mel Robbins’ 5-second rule.

These are Vivian’s biggest inspirations

FIV: Speaking of discipline, many top models prove it to us again and again. With your posts, you inspire many people who follow you and enjoy watching your content. But let’s be honest, everyone needs inspiration or a role model to follow, whether it’s fashion, health or lifestyle topics. Do you have a role model, whether it’s a model, celebrity or influencer that you like to follow or are you your own role model?

Vivian: I don’t have any role models myself, but I have great inspirations, especially when it comes to development and mindset. I am moved by people with their stories and what they have done with them: for example, Dr. Nicole Lepera and her work on the holistic approach, Mel Robbins or Lisa Nichols.

Photo: Fab4Media

Next Step: Move to Berlin

FIV: Finally, a short look into the future, we are curious what you have planned in the near future: Do you have big plans, like a move or something similar, or is there something special coming up? Give us a little teaser of what your fans and followers can look forward to in the near future!

Vivian: I’m going to move to Berlin! That will be very exciting, as a country bumpkin in the big city, but also professionally, because completely new doors and opportunities will open up, and I won’t be alone there either.

Body Positivity & Self Love Tips

FIV: Hey Elena I’m glad you found the time to do an interview with me. Looking at your Instagram feed, you seem to be very much into body positivity and are therefore a role model for many young people. Can you give us some tips on how to feel more comfortable in your body?

Elena: I think that everyone has to find out for themselves. Unfortunately there is no panacea. But it has always been helpful for me – should I not feel well with myself – to look at myself from a bird’s eye view. A body is also simply that. A body of flesh and blood that fortunately works great and does everything it’s supposed to! So to just take this huge weight off the whole topic of “perfect body”, that helps.

FIV: What has helped you feel more comfortable in your body the most – was it yoga, perhaps?

Elena: On the one hand the above described and on the other hand yoga has certainly helped me! Especially in times when it is particularly difficult for me to accept myself as I am. In the end, yoga is nothing more than a “moving meditation”, where you simply let go of everything you don’t need, just like those thoughts of self-criticism.

FIV: Yoga is a very relaxing sport and certainly good for the soul. Is there another sport you would like to try that is more the opposite of yoga?

Elena: I wanted to do a boxing course for a long time!

Linda Böse

Model everyday life: new projects & identity crisis

FIV: Besides the photo shoots and travelling, how does a day look like for you?

Elena: Well, since these two things are no longer an issue since Corona, I have very different and relaxed daily routines at the moment. I can set my own working hours and concentrate on what I would like to do beyond the whole online topic. So lots of time and energy for my own projects at the moment!

FIV: How do you find time for yourself at all?

Elena: Yes, a lot at the moment! I’m very grateful for that too. I’ve been overworking myself quite a bit the last few years and a lot of it just wasn’t necessary. Due to the “standstill” this year I only noticed how much I distracted myself from myself, my insecurities and my “identity wars” – by constantly travelling and jumping from peak to peak! In return, I finally got time to shed more light on these very things!

Linda Böse

Podcast with her dad Mathieu Carrière: “Tongue in Ear”

FIV: Not only are you a very open person on Instagram and talk about all kinds of topics, you also do that in your podcast ” Tongue in Ear”.

How did you get the idea to do a podcast? And then with your dad Mathieu Carrière?

Elena: At the end of last year I first had the idea to have his biography written (he wouldn’t do it himself out of humility and I have neither the time nor the “know-how” unfortunately). Then I thought, you could start a kind of audio diary of him, where you talk to him about everything: his views, stories from the past, anecdotes etc. . He’s had such a colorful life (and still does!) that it’s incredibly important to me to capture it in his own words! And of course our age difference plays into our cards: he’s a whopping 46 years older than me, which means we cover generations that has really big gaps in between! That is exciting!

FIV: How do you come up with the topics for your podcast? Do you brainstorm together? Or does it all come rather spontaneously?

Elena: In the beginning we agreed on one topic per episode, but then we quickly realized that we jump so freely and confused in the topics that just touch us more, that it does not make so much sense! But of course we always discuss beforehand what is on our minds and what we would like to talk about!

FIV: Thank you very much for taking the time for an interview for our FIV Magazine. I wish you and your family much more success and stay healthy!

Tips for meditation: Very simple methods to cope with stress & inner peace

Much in life is a question of structure and organization. This is also the case with meditation. Before we can start, we have to do a few things in order to be able to complete a successful mediation.

Basics quickly explained: suitable place, comfortable posture & Co.

The question of the location is a decisive one. The place should have a calming effect on you and not stress you out. At best, you should look for a place that is quiet and with few people, since this allows you to concentrate fully on the mediation exercises. It would be advantageous if you could meditate at the same place over and over again, as this trains your brain so that you automatically associate this place with relaxation. However, the most important thing is that you feel safe and secure in this place.

The question about the right clothing is very quick and easy to answer: it should be comfortable and you should feel comfortable in it. At the same time, this means that you are not disturbed and therefore distracted by a top that is too tight or an uncomfortable belt.

Distractions like the mobile phone, loud music, the television, the laptop or similar are poison for a successful meditation.

Guided, free meditation for beginners: Instructions & exercises

You have decided that you want to start a mediation, but you do not know exactly how to start. Fortunately there are an incredible number of free meditations on YouTube where you can easily join in! These are already divided into beginners and advanced meditations.

5-minute meditation for deep relaxation

Five minutes is really not long. You should keep this in mind when you think you don’t have time for meditation! Drop by!

Why breathing is crucial: self-love and mindfulness

The correct breathing is crucial in meditation. The following video shows you how to do this best!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmFUDkj1Aq0

Meditation at any time of day: When is the best time for meditation?

As beginners we do not know when is the best time for us to meditate. Since every person has different preferences and is also differently productive, it is not possible to say in general when is the perfect time for you to meditate. Our tip is: Try out different times and note down after each meditation session what your impressions were. After a certain period of time, you will know when is the most suitable time for you.

Meditation in the morning after getting up

Start the day properly with a meditation. Now you know that you do not need much time to do a meditation. Build a seven minute meditation in your morning routine and notice what it starts with. Do you notice a difference or do you need more time?

Meditation in the evening for inner peace and stress management

Try to meditate in the evening. Maybe you will find that you can end your evening very well with a meditation and end your day better.

This is how the stars do it: Russell Brand and Taraji P. Henson show how it’s done!

Which celebrities actually meditate and how do they do it? Many people ask themselves this question, including us. We found out that the actors Russell Brand and the actress Taraji P. Henson like to meditate very much.

Russel Brand: British comedian gives tips

British comedian, presenter, singer, actor and author Russell Brand enthusiastically performs meditations and shares his thoughts on his YouTube channel! Have a look!

Tibetan singing bowls at Jimmy Fallon

The US-American actress and singer shows the presenter Jimmy Fallon in his show “The Tonight Show” the Tibetan singing bowls and what they do.