317: Being Free With Nalie Agustin

Nalie Agustin is a blogger, writer and speaker. She created her blog Nalie.ca in 2013 after being diagnosed with breast cancer at 24 years old. What started off as an online journal of her out of the ordinary experience, turned into a resourceful website filled with relatable guidance for young women with breast cancer. With a degree in Communications, she continues to pursue her passion of writing, speaking and story telling by devoting her time and talent to helping other women and families affected by cancer. Sharing her story, giving back and getting involved is her way of turning her negative experience into a positive one and hopes to inspire others to do the same.

Nalie’s story is definitely worth listening to as she shares how being diagnosed with breast cancer at such a young age has helped her gain inner self confidence and summoned her true self. She also shares what it means to be free and how it can also help you in your inner journey to self confidence.

Bio

Nalie Agustin is a blogger, writer and speaker.

Cultural Background

Nalie is of Filipina descent.

Favorite Self Confidence Quote

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.

Definition of Self Confidence

Being yourself and living without limits. No censorship, no holding back. Self-confidence is trusting yourself and trusting the universe.

Her Life Before the Discovery of Self Confidence

Nalie remembers in high school up until my early 20s, she was always known as “the pretty girl” but she felt like a boy deep down inside. Having grown up with 2 older brothers, she didn’t like what all the pretty girls liked. Makeup, fashion, girl talk and gossip! She loved sports, games, movies, music and dancing. But because she was that “pretty girl” she felt like she always had to live up to “the pretty girl standards”.

Also, her entire life, she always loved several things and that’s also something that made Nalie a little insecure. She always felt like a plane jane, the Jack of all trades and Master of none. Her being multi-passionate and multi-talented was seen as a weakness and disadvantage which prevented her from trying new things as she didn’t think she could succeed. Nalie often believed that other people were better than her.

The “AHA” Moment

Strangely enough, Nalie gained confidence when she lost all her long thick hair, long lashes, her natural bronzed skin and fit body and became bald, hairless, pale and bloated from chemotherapy treatments. Why? Because she stopped caring. She had cancer, and she didn’t know how long she had left in this world. It was like breaking down a massive brick wall she built over the year or like peeling layers off of her skin and letting her true colours shine. Nalie couldn’t hide behind her hair anymore. It was the number one thing people would compliment her on and instead, she let my goofy, giddy and witty personality shine through!

Nalie’s AHA moment was when she launched her blog and reached out to tens of thousands of people who showed a deep appreciation for her writing and my videos. They’d tell her every day how much her blog has helped them. That made Nalie realize that her voice is far more powerful than she thought and that she had a huge impact on people.

Having cancer allowed her to be free because she no longer needed to keep up with the hot girls on Instagram. She was ill and by accepting it, she summoned my true self.

Her Life After the Discovery of Self Confidence

Nalie’s hair has grown back and asides from a little weight gain, she looks like what she looked liked before but now she feels more FREE. She lives simply. She doesn’t spend as much as she used to on accessories or clothes because she doesn’t find the need to “decorate” herself. She feels good in her skin. She loves her scars and is proud of who she is and her body and together, what she has overcome. That also added a lot to her self-confidence.

The One Self Confidence Tip For the Listener

Nalie’s advice is for women to speak to themselves (she did that a lot when she was in treatment). Talk to yourself as If you are speaking to your best friend. Focus on the things that you love about yourself. Whether it’s something about your body, your smile, your eyes, or maybe it’s something you’re really really good at. Focus on that.