How Danielle Brooks Boosts Her Confidence at the Gym

The Color Purple star Danielle Brooks has been a key player in the body-positive movement, most recently starring in a national plus-sized campaign for Lane Bryant. Brooks isn’t afraid to flaunt her curves, but she’s also willing to speak about the moments when she isn’t feeling so confident, as proven by her recent Instagram post.

“As most people know, I take my shirt off when I go to the gym, that’s my new thing, it gives me confidence,” Brooks explains in the video, posted on Sunday. “I have my shirt off and this lady walks in, and y’all she was bad, she looked great with her shirt off. I start to lose my confidence, I’m like ‘I need to put my shirt back on now.'”

But the experience gave her a greater revelation: “I realize I’m comparing myself to this woman,” Brooks admits, noting that she had felt great throughout her workout until seeing the woman. “I realize the reason I was feeling so great is because I was comparing myself to yesterday’s Danielle. And today’s Danielle is better than yesterday’s. So ladies, I’m just saying… don’t compare yourself to [any]body. Just be a better you.”

Watch the full video below.

[h/t nymag.com]