We were lucky to catch up with Sabrina Cabrera recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sabrina, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
When I was a little kid, I used to be such an extrovert and had a natural talent for being a leader. However, as I was growing up and entering my 12’s, I, like any other kid, started being more self-conscious. I was quieter than before, and I was slowly becoming an introvert. Thank God, I was never a victim of bullying. But I started changing.
When I got here, to the United States, it was like my parents, and I started a whole new life. This obviously had an impact on my development as a teenager. I started school about a month after we got here. On the first day of school, I already had made friends! They supported me a lot since I was new, and I did not understand the language of English. Everything was great.
Hey, it was not the best school, but it was my first school here in the U.S. so it’s right next to my heart and I will never forget it.
In the summer, I even started doing martial arts! Which will have a greater impact later. Everything was going alright, until one day, my parents told me I had changed school. I felt destroyed. I know it sounds really dramatic, but it really hurt. All my friends were going to be gone. My parents supported me and said it was for the best since it was a “magnet” school, plus, it was going to be an Arts School!
In short terms, the first weeks there, were horrible. My head was always down, detailing the floor, and my face, uhh, my face was really bad. I always looked in a bad mood and “intimidating” (this is proven by my current friends). It would not matter if someone tried talking to me, I would not even smile. One day, I talked it out with my mom, who, as always, is there to hear me and give me the best pieces of advice she can give me. She said everything in life is about attitude towards things, and that you always attract what you are or/and think. This changed my perspective on everything. The next day, I went to school with a smile on, my shoulders back, and chest outside. That same day, one of my peers was having a rough time. I tried to help him by cheering him up and asking him stuff about himself. He smiled at me. That smile… that smile made me realize a lot of things! Being confident of yourself and kind is completely free! Anyone can do it, whenever and wherever they want. Just being able to make someone smile improves my day.
I also started being more constant with my Taekwondo classes, which I, as well, have right next to my heart. And, helped me A LOT with improving as a person in general. It taught me a lot of things. It taught me both physical things and important values in life. Values-wise, it taught me discipline, the sense of responsibility, confidence, respect, self-respect, and, of course, self-esteem.
I started applying everything that I had learned, and, I also started reading about psychology and learning more about body language. All this I talked about has helped me to be a confident person and have high self-esteem.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As said before, in the other interview, I come from Venezuela. I’ve been here for a year and a half by now. My mom is a lawyer (@lisabri13 on Instagram) and my dad works with TITAN, Solar Panels (@titan_sp_jax or @alexrcabrerasdf on Instagram). I’ve always felt attracted to art, especially drawing. Since I was a kid, if you would give me a pencil and paper/napkin or whatever you can imagine to draw in, I would start drawing anything. Since I was 5 years old, I used to do gymnastics, swimming, and tennis until I came to the U.S. However, lately, I have been more into music, such as guitar and piano, and also sports, such as volleyball, baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. And, obviously, martial arts. I am 14 years old now, but when I grow up, I would love to become an FBI Agent. I love psychology and anything that has to do with body language. I do not have any brands, products, or anything like that. But, what I do have is an Instagram account, it’s called: @sabrinas_creator. So, if you would like, and you can, you can support me there! I’m so grateful to be here, so thank you so much for this opportunity. Blessings to everyone!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Faith in God, learn from people around me, and put into practice everything I learn with the purpose of improving myself and being able to help others.
My advice is: Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you. Be kind. Be a good listener. Be respectful. In life, there must ALWAYS be balance. Love yourself to love others. Live and let live.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Without even thinking about it, while reading this question, I didn’t even had finished reading when the first person that came to my mind was my mom. I’m really blessed to have a mom like her. As said previously, she is a lawyer, and here, in the U.S. she works as a paralegal in an attorney firm. She is really smart, oh God, she really is! She’s always been there for me, literally, she may be a little over-protective, but I get why she is like that. She has always been there, no matter what. If I wanted something, she would try to give it to me, but if she could not give it to me, she would always explain why she couldn’t. She has taught me a lot, like, a lot. She taught me the basics to live a good and successful life. She is such a good listener too; when we have a discussion, we both speak and let the other speak as well. She is amazing, not only as a mom, but also as a friend, best friend, daughter, sister, and person. We laugh a lot together, she improves my sense of humor!
Thanks to her, I am where I am right now. My parents got divorced 8 years ago, my dad left the house and I started living with my mom alone. We obviously had our ups and downs, but we always loved each other, a lot. I kept seeing my dad, and he’s a great dad as well! He has taught me a lot of things and I love him so much, but my mom has the win on this one.
I LOVE YOU MOM 👌❤️
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @sabrinas_creator
- Other: personal: @ninacabrera_1209
Image Credits
Thanks to my teacher Mr. Collier I have improved a lot in my drawing.
