{"id":17874,"date":"2023-08-28T10:00:38","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T08:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/pretoria\/?p=17874"},"modified":"2023-08-26T12:03:06","modified_gmt":"2023-08-26T10:03:06","slug":"all-about-inner-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/pretoria\/blog\/2023\/08\/28\/all-about-inner-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"All about (inner) beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adele Segal has long been drawn to all things glitz and glam. So, she kicked off her modelling career and opened her own beauty salon. Behind the curtains, though, her heart beats for the disadvantaged and underprivileged.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It was while finding her feet as a young business owner, that Ad\u00e9le Segal started dipping her toes into the world of modelling. A few years down the line and she was striking her best pose for the former FHM calendar, ranking seventh on the mag\u2019s list of 100 Sexiest Women in the country at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to prove that you can be in any magazine without taking off all your clothes. I vowed to stick to my beliefs and values which was so worth it in the end. It\u2019s about so much more than what\u2019s on the outside. And we, as women need to realise that. It\u2019s so easy to conform to someone else\u2019s image of who we should be. In a noise-addicted world, it\u2019s becoming harder and harder to find your voice. So, when we do find it, it\u2019s so important to hold on to it and stay true to one\u2019s self!\u201d<\/p>\n

Although models are often perceived as divas, Ad\u00e9le loves proving people wrong. In fact, it\u2019s in her nature to put other\u2019s needs before her own. It could have been her mom\u2019s love of teaching children with cerebral palsy that instilled the trait in her from a young age.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom used to teach home economics at the Pretoria School for Cerebral Palsied Learners. And if a child had been left at the boarding school for too long, she\u2019d bring them home for the weekend. Which was almost every week.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was only after a few years that she felt something stirring within her. She was at a point where she questioned her purpose in life. Ad\u00e9le never believed in coincidence. So, she knew it was fate when she received an email about 18 children using the same toothbrush from a local children\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring this time I had a hubby, a home and a business, but I knew there had to be more? I remember it so distinctly because the thought struck me the night before my 23rd birthday. So, when I received that completely random email, I knew my answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result, the toothbrush project was born. Ad\u00e9le asked all her salon clients bring one to their appointments in support of the cause. Because many hands, right? Before long a toothbrush became a bag of toiletries and the children\u2019s home became basically any institution in need of any kind of help. And so, the Boikanyo Home for Children with Disabilities came across her path.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I had found my home the moment I walked through that door. It broke my heart to see these underprivileged, disabled children living in such dire circumstances. I just had to help them. The motto on their wall read: \u2018Those who are content, will be happy even when sleeping on the floor. But those who are discontent will never be happy, not even in heaven.\u2019 And it just stayed with me ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

For years Ad\u00e9le devoted herself to helping the home in any way possible. Basic needs. Excursions. Christmas parties. Anything that would help enhance their quality of life. In return she received the priceless gift of love and laughter. Something Adele wouldn\u2019t trade for anything in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing this, I realised it\u2019s not so much rewarding, as it is humbling. And my help is barely a drop in the bucket. I know that I\u2019ll never be able to change the world, but I\u2019ve always loved the idea of changing the world for one person.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than a decade and two kids later, Adele admits that although life can get busy at times, she still tries her best to reach out to Boikanyo as often as possible. Even if it means simply donating some much-needed goods from time to time.<\/p>\n

So, when Ad\u00e9le isn\u2019t busy with the children\u2019s home, the salon, or striking a pose here and there, she will most probably be found spending time with her hubby, Stephen and kids, eight-year-old Elijah and six-year-old Noa, or simply curling up with a good book.<\/p>\n

A nature lover at heart, there is no better place for Ad\u00e9le to recharge than in the bushveld \u2013 maybe because she deems herself a conservationist in another life! No surprise the Segals have at least 15 rescued animals running around their home at any given time, including dogs, cats, three tortoises, a hedgehog and a chinchilla.<\/p>\n

It only goes to show that this model would gladly trade her heels for sneakers if it meant changing someone\u2019s – or something\u2019s – life for the better.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my favourite quotes is spoken by Theodore Roosevelt, who said that comparison is the thief of joy. This statement holds true for many reasons. When we compare ourselves to others, we are often left feeling inadequate and unhappy. We focus on what we lack rather than what we have, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction in our lives. And what better way to shift that focus to someone in need of your love and kindness?\u201d<\/p>\n

A firm believer that true beauty comes from within!<\/p>\n

Follow @adele Segal on Facebook<\/em><\/p>\n

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Ad\u00e9le gives 6 ways you can get involved in the community this Spring.<\/strong>
\nEveryone benefits from fresh starts. No one needs a title or a platform to get involved or volunteer. Anyone is able and capable of doing good in the community. Some offer much needed finances, others offer help and services and then we get those who offer their precious time. Here\u2019s how you can get your hands dirty this new season:<\/p>\n