Beauty from the inside out is what on-camera host Lina Noory believes in. While her day-to-day involves giving out fashion and beauty tips, ultimately, “it’s not about what you own or what you wear,” she explains. “I want to leave this earth knowing that I made a positive impact on people’s lives, even if only a few people. It’s worth it to me.” Lina’s beauty shines from her enthusiasm for sharing what she loves and her self-acceptance.

Lina has a profound gratitude for the opportunity to follow her passion professionally. Her parents immigrated from Afghanistan to give their daughters a better life, and Lina is keenly aware that she could have been born into a less fortunate situation. “When you see what life is like in these impoverished countries that have limited rights for women, you realize how fortunate you are to live in the United States,” she elaborates. Born in Queens, New York, Lina had educational opportunities that would not have been available to her had she been born in her parents’ home country.

While she was in elementary school, her parents relocated the family to Orange County, CA, and she later attended the University of California, Los Angeles. “Originally I worked in nightlife and hospitality, doing a job that wasn’t giving me value. I just made money, which could afford me the different things we think we need in life–a car, a house, etc.” One day her boyfriend prompted her to think outside the box by asking, “If you could have any other career right now, what  would it be?” Lina had always wanted to be an on-camera host, and to create content that would empower women to look and feel their best.

Even knowing what she wanted didn’t make it an easy process. Stepping out of her comfort zone and into an entrepreneurial endeavor was a leap of faith! Lina had plenty of reasons for making excuses to play it safe, but at some point, “I just needed to make the decision to get up, and go do it!”

— Do you see yourself as somebody who took a leap of faith to create the life you live today, or do you think it kind of just happened?

For me it was definitely a leap of faith! While working full-time in hospitality, I went against what my body and mind were telling me: why leave something you worked so hard towards just to start from scratch again? But I took the leap anyway! I’ve always felt that if you don’t have purpose and meaning in your life, then you’re not living. You’re just a hamster running on a wheel that never moves, until you burn out and eventually stop running. The only way to live a meaningful life is through growth and change, and change only happens outside of your comfort zone.

I had been looking for outside goals for happiness—telling myself when I get this job, this home, this promotion, etc., then I’ll be happy. I would plant my happiness outside of me—and that’s the worst thing you can ever do. So I decided to break out of my comfort zone and manifest my future. I had also started practicing TM around the same time, which not only allowed me to be more focused but also helped me push through my fears and over-thinking.

— In one word, what describes your approach to life?

Self-love.

— Do you have a team that helps you manage your website and tutorial videos, or are you a one-woman show? 

I’ve been a one-woman show until just recently. I did all the styling, filming, editing, and posting of the creative content.  I’m working on growing a team, but as of now, I have two awesome girls who help me part-time with taking photos and editing my videos.

— Talk about the biggest failure you’ve had. What did you learn from it?

My biggest failure was believing that the answer was outside of me. It’s been the reason for failed business ventures, and unhealthy relationships with friends, family, and significant others. Realizing that happiness is an internal job and can’t just be found in something or someone else has been a fundamental part of my journey. It’s not a race or a light switch, but a journey. I don’t believe it has to be a struggle, but I do think it’s important to tune in to yourself to understand how the journey works for you. No two people’s journeys are the same.

— What habit contributes most to your success? 

My greatest success has been learning to be present, and not believing everything my mind tells me. I’ve learned that we spend most of the day in our minds, and that we are not truly living. What’s very important to me is how I start and end my day, since you are essentially programming your brain in “theta” minutes before you doze off, and right when you wake up. I begin and end my day with gratitude, which I practice through writing down personal morning affirmations and listening to audio affirmations before bed.

The first and last 10 min of my day I say affirmations to myself: “I’m lovable. I am happy. I can achieve anything I put my mind to.”

Before I check ANYTHING, I check in with myself about what I’m grateful for and how I’m proud of myself. That is one of the most important practices in my routine, along with my TM practice.

— How long have you been practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique, and what inspired you to learn? 

When I was working in the nightlife and hospitality world, my anxiety and stress was at its height. One of the managers at work mentioned the TM technique—he said it was what saved his brother who suffered from depression. I had reached a point in my life where I was not practicing self-care, and I just wasn’t happy. I wasn’t pursuing my passion and desire to be an on-camera host, and I felt like I wasn’t growing.

It took someone I trusted to give me the answer, and the very next Monday, I called in and booked the intro talk with my local TM teachers. I started the TM course that same week.

I moved forward so quickly with the TM technique because something inside of me knew it was right for me. And it’s truly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

— What was your perception of meditation in general before you learned TM? Did that perception change after your first few experiences meditating? 

I avoided anything that required stillness or being calm like the plague! During yoga I’d avoid shavasana—corpse pose—because I didn’t like being still with myself. I had become so addicted to being stressed that my body would reject stillness by distracting myself with constant movement.

Before TM, it was difficult for me to sit in stillness or be calm. Now I look forward to my meditations and live for moments of stillness. The TM technique has also opened new doors for me in my self-discovery, and has allowed me to be more present.

— Where do you want to go next with your career? 

If this were a few years ago, I would have given you an exact timeline of how I would want my life and career to go. I don’t have a timeline anymore. I’m here. I’m exactly where I need to be, and that’s been the biggest accomplishment for me.

The challenge has been realizing that where I need to be is right here. I used to dwell on the past, or stress about the future. I was never truly living because my mind was always in the past, or creating huge expectations for the future. I’ve learned that expectations are the root of all heartache—one of my favorite quotes by William Shakespeare. I do think having goals is amazing! I give myself goals, but not a timeline under which to accomplish them. I like to focus on the journey now, and not the destination. In the past I would give myself deadlines that I would become fixated on, and when I wouldn’t reach them, it often created self-doubt. That was very debilitating.

My goal for the future is to launch my own hair product line, Linoor by Lina, which I’ll be doing very soon!

I believe that when you choose happiness, everything else will fall into place. In my immediate future, I want to continue focusing on what it means to be happy, and rewrite the negative patterns within myself. This means letting go and being present.

And I would LOVE, love, love to get to a point where I can be one of the people that helps bring the TM technique to schools! I’d love to be a part of giving kids an outlet to release stress, especially middle-school and high-school students. The TM technique is the stepping-stone to everything. I can already see the impact it has made in my life, and I would love to share that gift with everyone else.

— If you could give a person one piece of advice when thinking about pursuing a career like yours, what would you tell them? 

First and foremost, be authentic! Your superpower is that no one else is you! Find something that you are not only good at, but that you truly love doing. If you stay consistent and do not give up, there’s no way you won’t be successful.

Envision your most noble self, and believe that you are already succeeding at whatever you started. This is something that I learned from Dr. Joe Dispenza! I believe in the power of manifestation. Put yourself out there and understand that failures are a part of success, so don’t let them affect you. Every “failure” is just a stepping-stone to achieving your success and learning something new about yourself.

— Tell us about your videos and what you hope to do through them.

My styling videos and beauty tutorials are intended to empower women to look and feel their best! I also create wellness videos where I talk about meditation and emphasize the importance of practicing gratitude, because I believe it’s just as important to feel as beautiful on the inside as you do on the outside.

My hair tutorials teach girls how to save money and give themselves a salon style blowout at home. The styling videos show girls how to style one clothing item 5 different ways, because I believe in versatility and re-creating looks from the items you already have in your closet. Some of my most popular videos are the ones where I style looks for the work-place. I absolutely love supporting women in the workforce. I’m invested in the well-being of my followers—they are my family. If anything I create resonates with them or inspires them, that’s what matters. Making a difference in someone’s life, whether it’s big or small, is what life should be about.

You can learn even more about Lina and follow her inspirational posts on self-love and style on YouTube and Instagram. Connect with your local TM teacher at www.tm.org/contact-us