Rumor has it that I was nominated by Rolling Stone glam goddess and Access Hollywood host Beverly Smith — if you don’t know Bevy you’d better ask somebody. She is a style diva and confidence personified.

What many people fail to realize is that there is a difference between confidence and an attitude. Confidence is a knowing. Attitude is a defense, an armor. If you have a knowing then, trust me, there is no need to have a defense. I have finally reached that place where, like Bev, I have a knowing. Confidence also loves to see beauty and confidence in others. That’s what the Goddess Factory and the Goddess Lifestyle is about, us learning, nurturing and sharing that knowing, and living well and with joy.

I was on a panel recently and introduced myself to the only other black woman on the panel. When she was nasty and abrupt with me, I didn’t do what I would’ve done in the past — question myself or make her try to like me. I wished her well and bounced with the confidence that not everyone will like me, and that is ok.

On the set of the Paper Magazine Beautiful People shoot, many of the dresses they pulled were built for a size 0 body. As you will see from my upcoming fitness journals, I am a life-sized girl: Big Eyes, Big Dimples, Big Mouth, Big Butt, and Thick Thighs. Before I reminded myself of who I have a become - a woman who loves and appreciates herself (we all need reminders) I was almost in frustrated tears to see the pretty things that couldn’t fit my hips.

Then they pulled out the gorgeous jewel azure Rock and Republic dress and Bruno Frisoni shoes. You see here on their model how it’s supposed to fit, right? They put it on me and it was totally bustin’ loose, more revealing than I wanted to be, but for that reason it worked. I felt like an amazon, a war goddess, a strong, confident woman and a real girl who was wearing the dress differently than intended, making it all her own. And I love that. The incredibly supportive and encouraging photographer Joanna Newsom loved it too.

Now, most people, maybe even the designers, will prefer the model’s take, but that’s fine. It took me a long time to say this but I am not a model. I am a goddess.