Paulina Porizkova, model, writer and advocate for embracing aging, is a Woman of the Year honoree:- Paulina Porizkova is one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year. This award is given to women who have done great things in their neighbourhoods and across the country. At womenoftheyear.usatoday.com, you can meet this year’s winners.
Paulina Porizkova, model, writer and advocate for embracing aging, is a Woman of the Year honoree
“No” is not an option for Paulina Porizkova.
The desire to keep going is something that comes naturally to Porizkova. She used to be a top model in the 1980s, but now she’s an author and a champion for accepting ageing in a field that values youth. She won’t give in to the negative ideas about getting older.
“When I was younger, I didn’t notice how old I was getting.” I thought that getting older was something that other people did. 58-year-old Porizkova says, “I thought that when I got older, I wouldn’t be as interested in life as I was when I was younger.” “Being in this second part of life now and knowing what age is and what age brings, it’s such a tremendous time.”
Porizkova has been on the cover of every major magazine and in ads for Estée Lauder, Chanel, Hermes, and many more as a model.After a rough few years in which she publicly split up with and then lost her husband Ric Ocasek in 2019, she is now supporting a different cause.Now, Porizkova tells others to enjoy getting older. The title of her 2022 book, “No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful,” perfectly describes this time in her life..
“Life will only get better as long as you’re not afraid of it,” she explains. “This is a wonderful spot to be. Don’t bother trying to look younger. Accept yourself as you are now, because this is the best time for you. “This is the best time ever, so enjoy it while it lasts.”
Who paved the way for you?
The women who made the way for me would have to be all the models who came before me. Because, well, it’s a weird job, and from what I know, the early days of modelling were mostly socialites and movie stars. Then it turned into modelling for pay in the 1950s and 1960s. And those women were what made the work what it was.
Of course, I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me, just like everyone else. That’s a lot of women, and I’m thankful to all of them for making my work possible.
What is your proudest moment?
It was during my time as a model that I saw the movie “Paris Is Burning,” which was about transgender teens and young adults in New York City who were secretly organising. A young woman named Octavia was also talked to for a short time. The picture shows her sitting in front of a bed, not in a fancy room. There are magazine tear sheets all over the wall behind her. And there’s a picture of me in it. She starts talking about me and telling the camera that seeing my pictures inspires her. That young woman was really struggling with who she was, who she wanted to be, and how to fit in with society. When I think about that moment, it almost makes me cry that my job, which I just thought of as selling lipstick, could give her hope. And the fact that I let her dream. That’s when I realised I was selling dreams too, and maybe they were worth something.
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I was so happy that I had written a book in just three months. I didn’t know that was possible or that I had the skills to do it.
Being where I am now, after going through some terrible changes and dark times and having to rebuild myself from almost nothing, makes me the happiest person in the world. Still, I’m here, and I think I’m happy than ever. I’m sure I’m better now than ever. I’m definitely smarter now than I ever was. And the fact that I was able to rebuild this house that is me after it was totally destroyed and make it better? That makes me proud.
Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself?
In my late 40s, my marriage to Ric Ocasek began to fail. Not knowing how to fix it, it may not be fixable. I hate giving up, but I had to since I had no other alternative. A succession of incidents followed. Several problems, COVID-19, not having money, and having to sell my house followed my husband’s death, including an oddly structured will that felt like a betrayal of our life together. All kinds of things that are hard to deal with alone, but when you have a whole series of them, it’s like being in stormy seas and never being able to gasp for breath. Waves keep coming.
I read every grieving, heartbreak, and betrayal book on the market. Some repeated something that touched my heart: Nothing lasts. Nothing lasts, and bad situations don’t last, so when you’re going through a hard moment, remember that. Be appreciative for good times because they won’t last. That changed my life.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I wouldn’t have heeded older women’s advise when I was 18, so giving myself advice was a horrible idea. I didn’t follow guidance at 18. I thought I knew everything. So I wouldn’t advise myself. Just like, “Hey, you know? Hard knocks will teach you.” You give counsel with the hope that you know something they don’t and wish to share it. We all learn wisdom at our own pace, and nobody can give it to you.
You’ve experienced a difficult few years recently. How do you work to overcome adversity?
We never know how we’ll react to adversity, right? You don’t know how to handle real difficulty since you’ve never faced it. You probably attempt all your normal methods.
Leaving yourself open to change is possible for everyone. I know from experience that a good day may go wrong. Day can be terrible, but things will improve when you least expect it. Knowing that offers hope. The most crucial thing humans have is hope. If hope dies, you die. As long as there is hope, even a flicker of hope that tomorrow may be better. Then continue.
Who do you look up to?
My mother inspires me most. “Oh, how wonderful,” sounds like a nice complement if you don’t know my life tale. She’s influenced by her mother “My mother and I have a rocky connection. She left me when I was young, not because she wanted to But it worked out. We weren’t mother and kid, we didn’t learn the same love language, and we weren’t together long enough. The relationship is strained. I’m 58, and I imagine my mom will be 77, and I look at her and think my mother has inspired me the most.
My mother is brave. She never takes “no” for an answer. Can’t resist a challenge. My 72-year-old mother taught midwifery in Uganda for two years in the Peace Corps. She returned to Italy’s Amalfi Coast with her then-boyfriend and had the most beautiful wedding aged 74. They travel the globe. Seeing the world together. I’m inspired by a woman who doesn’t accept “no” and sees a locked door as something to axe. Maybe being her daughter wasn’t easy, but I want to be that as a woman. When I see her at her age with her husband, happy, travelling, and having fun, I want to be like her. I want to do it.
What is your definition of courage?
Courage to me is facing fear and doing things nonetheless. I think this distinction is crucial. When people call myself or someone else fearless, I always say, “No, I’m afraid. From subways to lifts, I’m afraid every day. I’m scared.” I won’t be stopped. I hate being challenged that I won’t strive to win.