Authenticity is hard to find in this age of short-form video reels and filtered photos. The available applications make it all too easy to present ideal versions of ourselves. Others can piece together the carefully curated images of our lives we make available.
The impact on clueless followers can be unhealthy as they may unconsciously compare their lives to an illusion. The same happens when we question what we have based on what we see on our feeds.
In an intimate (pun intended) gathering for lingerie brand Triumph, media practitioner and content creator Bea Fabregas weighed in on keeping the balance between being authentic and showcasing her real self and personal triumphs. Her weight loss and motherhood journey are recurring themes in her social media posts.
Here are the things I picked up from her Q&A session with the event’s host Issa Litton:
Empowerment. Knowing she has developed the right skills and mindset, Bea is confident about sharing her postpartum weight loss journey. She said, “When I’m at the gym and I work on myself and I’m literally flexing, I’m proud! I’m working on myself to be healthy for my family. That’s when I’m most confident.”
Putting in the work gives Bea confidence and she feels responsible as a content creator to empower others and make them realize their capability and that they can achieve the same goals too. The same goes for her work as a host and disc jockey. She said, “Being in the radio industry for ten years, I am confident when I’m about to turn on that mic because I know there’s time and effort that has gone into this art and craft.”
@beafabregas)
Vulnerability. Inspiring other women in the room, Bea gamely talked about how high school was a difficult time for her as a shy girl who battled image issues. She radiated with confidence as she spoke of the past and made herself relatable by being vulnerable. When asked to share her insecurities, Bea laughed and said, “I love talking about insecurities. I like talking about it now because you can see your personal growth.”
Self-love. “All of us will have insecurities creeping in every once in a while, but how were you able to keep them at bay?”
Issa asked Bea. “I think it’s trying to understand what matters the most. I think, for me, when I became pregnant, I realized that this body was literally housing another human. It’s a miracle!”
She recalled having to affirm her changing beauty, “I remember even when I was getting bigger and my skin was expanding, I never had to do this before, but I had to look in the mirror and fight with the body changes. I had to tell myself, ‘I look beautiful! I have a baby in my belly. I look great!’”
Motherhood helped Bea deal with self-doubt and postpartum and she highly encourages other women to be kind to themselves and more positive. “I would say it in front of the mirror. You guys should try it. You have to speak good things to yourself.”
In the end, Bea gave her interpretation of the modern term flexing which has gained the negative connotation of showing off.
“Flexing is being passionate about what you have done and achieved. There isn’t arrogance to it. It’s just like saying, ‘Hey, look, I put time, effort, and love into this, be it your work, family, or friendship,” she explained.
Bea, who wins against life’s challenges with the right amount of confidence, later defined what it means to “flex the real you.” She emphasized, “That’s what flexing means to me, being authentic and true.”
Triumph launched its Flex Smart collection – a collection of coordinating pieces centered around an innovative new bra concept that supports and adapts to women’s bodies.
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