If you were to get stripped of your job, money, relationships, or skills, who would you be?
This is a great question to ask when you’re evaluating your self-worth. In today’s world, we tend to measure our value through the number of followers we have on social media or how much money we have in our bank accounts. But the real meaning of self-worth is so much deeper than that.
Actress and former global beauty pageant winner Priyanka Chopra Jonas is no stranger to the importance of having a strong sense of one’s worth. Despite being a movie star and accomplishing feats that some people would never dare to achieve, she doesn’t deny that even she questions her value sometimes.
In our conversation, Priyanka allowed herself to get real and vulnerable. We talked about insecurities and how you can lean to them so you can build your self-confidence. We also got into how she sets herself for daily success and cultivates happiness for herself. Lastly, we discussed the importance of always “choosing yourself” in order to achieve your life’s biggest dreams and goals.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a genuinely remarkable individual, and I am so excited to share her insights with you in this episode of School of Greatness. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in!
Who Is Priyanka Chopra Jonas?
Priyanka Chopra Jonas is a multi-award-winning actress, producer, and one of the world’s most recognized personalities. A former Miss World, she made her movie debut in 2002 and has appeared in more than 60 films produced in India and the United States.
She has recently written her new memoir, Unfinished, to commemorate her career and life up until this point. In this memoir, Priyanka shares her challenges and victories with love and vulnerability. The result is a philosophical, sassy, inspiring, bold, and rebellious book — just like the author herself.
From her 20-year-long career as an actress/producer to losing her beloved father to cancer and finally to her work in Netflix’s The White Tiger, Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s story will inspire generations around the world to know their self worth, find happiness, and gather their courage to always choose themselves.
It was my pleasure to speak with Priyanka, and I know you’re going to love hearing her wisdom!
The World Won’t Believe in You if You Don’t Believe in You
You can achieve so many incredible things but still, question your self-worth. Priyanka has made more than 50 Bollywood films, but this does not mean that she never doubted what she could do. This was particularly true when she first stepped into the Hollywood industry.
“It was 2014, and I had a talent deal with ABC studios to do a show with them. This was my step into America. It had taken me a lot of lamenting because it was a considerable risk. I already had a prolific career in India for almost nine years at that time. I had these questions like, ‘What if it doesn’t pay off? What if it’s a waste of my time?’ All of those were playing in my head.” – Priyanka Chopra Jonas
But if you think that these questions would stop Priyanka from going after her dreams, you’re wrong. Though she knew that taking the chance meant that she had to audition again — something she hadn’t done for a while — Priyanka decided to go with her decision despite fear.
“I remember when I walked into the studio where the audition was, and there were two other girls there. They are beautiful, and they were everything that this character was. I was freaking out in my mind. … I went to the restroom, looked at myself in the mirror, and reminded myself that I’d done 50 movies. I told myself that I have more experience than those girls sitting outside. I like to empower myself. I strutted down that hallway into that room and got that job.” – Priyanka Chopra Jonas
How was Priyanka able to do that? How was she able to push past fear with full-force? She harnessed the power of positive thinking. Priyanka is a big believer in positive self-talk and voicing out her insecurities to weaken their power over her.
“I have a healthier relationship with my insecurities because I take away their power by discussing them. I choose not to live with them alone in the dark recesses of my mind because then they become monsters, even when they’re not real. It’s always been beneficial to me whenever I’m feeling crazy or insecure or afraid.” – Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Just like you and me, Priyanka has insecurities. However, what might be different is how we approach them. Some of us might try to hide them, while some choose to embrace them. Priyanka decides to choose the latter path and use it to build her self-confidence. She transforms these ugly monsters into little reminders of self-worth.
“The world won’t believe in you if you don’t believe in you. … But I think it’s also important to recognize that confidence is not something we’re born with. It’s more of a skill we can train ourselves to work with, just like how we do with our muscles. We start from warmups and stuff like that. So to build confidence for me is starting to use that at a minimal level.” – Priyanka Chopra Jonas
I’m a big believer, too, in the power that confidence has on achieving greatness in life. You could have the most incredible experience, the most significant degree, the skills, the family, the money, and even good looks, but if you don’t have self-worth and build confidence, all these things do not matter.
Remember — if you don’t believe in yourself, the world won’t believe in you either.
