In a world where the idea of a perfect woman often stems from her being helpless and dependent, females often tend to forget their own strength and individuality. Watching day after day the protagonist of television dramas playing the damsels in distress, to some extent has made the women in our society less self-assured. Raising her voice to shed light on the importance of self worth and knowing your true self, actress Zara Noor Abbas beautifully explained the scenario she encountered. In a stunning new photo shoot, Zara Noor Abbas is seen in a complete distinct look shattering the myths surrounding her avatars of “the damsel in distress”. Not only does she look beautiful but she also carries herself with grace and confidence and embraces the beauty of being her true self. In her own true words, Zara beautifully explains in a post on Instagram, “The time this photo shoot came out and I looked at it, immediately I thought to myself that ‘oh, I don’t really look how I usually look usually’. Usually, I am dressed as a damsel in distress who is playing a character of an innocent girl trapped in the Alcatraz of injustice.” Zara explained how it’s not about the clothes, rather it was about the cloak one wears which hides your inner confidence and strength. She further said, “Usually, I’m made to dress as a weak human being who can’t speak up for herself. She’s either working as a house maid or being beaten by her lover, or even running around the city to make ends meet for her disabled brother and unwell niece. Eventually, a part of me also became that and this shoot looked to me too different because in these pictures I look like myself.” The importance of how essential it’s for everyone and especially women in our society to feel the peace and contentment with being you is very crucial. Many people often ignore this so kudos to Zara on highlighting such an impactful issue. In the most powerful way possible, Zara ended her post by writing, “The woman who I believe in is the one who is strong, confident, knows her worth and respects self love. The woman my father and mother taught me to be. The woman my husband sees in me. The woman I forgot about in this chaos of work and life, in this survival of the fittest and in routine. The monotony I forgot myself. So if anyone out there is going on and on with life, stop! Look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself of why you started all of this in the beginning. Remind yourself of who you are or remind yourself to know who you are, just before anyone else does.” With these brave and inspiring words, we truly hope that there are more people out there like Zara Noor Abbas who hold the courage to embrace themselves and live their lives on their own terms. Published in Daily Times, March 10th 2019.