We recently connected with Quenia Tolentino and have shared our conversation below.
Quenia, 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.
I’ve been developing my confidence and self-esteem through therapy, looking into my life and my past, and contemplating everything I’ve overcome and accomplished with dedication and hard work, and looking at that as evidence of my capabilities.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Sure! I’m a Brazilian who came to the USA 5 years ago in 2019.
I came here for an exchange as an Au Pair to improve my English and live all the experiences an exchange can provide, and then the pandemic happened. Even though I never got COVID, the pandemic itself changed the course of my life, I believe.
I was planning to return to Brazil at the end of my one-year contract with my Au Pair agency to return to my career as an architect in Brazil. I graduated just a year before I came to the US, so I had so much to learn in my field still. But with the pandemic, I didn’t feel confident enough to return and find a job in the middle of a lockdown. So I decided to extend my contract and stay here a little longer. A lot happened in the middle, but in a short story, I am now, established in Seattle-WA, enjoying life in the evergreen state.
Now, I’m exploring modeling and acting as a way of improving and developing new skills and getting out of my shell a little bit. I like to challenge myself, and it’s been great to explore this new world.
Meeting and connecting with new people in every work I do has been very special to me, and even though that’s a very competitive field, everyone I’ve met so far has something good and valuable to say. The energy tends to be of collaboration instead of competition. I love that.
At this point, I’ve done commercials, ads, and a movie. I’m waiting for some of those materials to be released, but I can’t wait to see myself in action.
And while I wait, I keep trying new projects and workshops and anything that can help me improve the quality of my work.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Communication skills, be confident and yet humble.
When I want to develop a skill, a habit, or something like that, I try to put myself in contact with content related to it. By reading books, watching YouTube-related videos, and following Instagram related to that subject, I keep insisting, trying my best, until I see improvement.
For example, I’m trying to be more present and less distracted by my phone and social media. So I’m constantly consuming media content that reminds me why that’s important; I stay physically away from my phone sometimes and have an app that manages how much time I spend on social media, so I know and have control of how much time I spend on it.
That’s basically what I do for everything.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
The book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do.
I felt mentally stronger after reading this book. The language in it is simple but powerful and is also very practical.
The part that most resonated for me was the chapter where she talks about how life doesn’t owe us anything. Even if we go through an unfair situation, life will still not compensate or be easier for us. That reminds me that I’m the one responsible for working for the life I want for me. Only I can do that for myself. And while it is essential to feel all the feelings. I feel and understand and accommodate them, but I’m still the one who’s in control, not my feelings.
I’m probably going to reread this book later this year again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.queniatolentino.com/
- Instagram: Quetolentino
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quenia.reistolentino/
Image Credits
Smiljana Aleksic
Tony Angel Photos
Matthew Kutz
Michael J Eckert
Jevoy Palmer
LaVaughna Fenter
Michael J Eckert
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