'My mother told me I should be a secretary': Barbra Streisand on pursuing stardom and how she did things HER way

PUBLISHED: 13:48 EST, 30 October 2013 | UPDATED: 17:16 EST, 30 October 2013

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Barbra Streisand was never one to back away from a challenge even when people tried to discourage her.

The 71-year-old award-winner talks about her journey from struggling nightclub singer to super star in Glamour Magazine's 2013 Women Of The Year issue, which hits newsstands November 5.

It wasn't easy for a girl with such unusual looks, especially when her own mother suggested she do something more practical with her life like become a secretary.

Woman Of The Year: Barbra Streisand, pictured at a 2010 gala in Los Angeles, describes her struggle to succeed in the Glamour Magazine Women Of The Year issue

'My mother told me I should be a secretary, but I wanted to be an actress from when I was very young,' Barbra tells the beauty and fashion magazine.

'Looking back I think it was maybe an escape. I just had a belief in myself.'

Barbra - whose grew up as Barbara Joan Streisand - recalls how her stepfather put her down: 'He told me, "You're not pretty enough to have ice cream." And my mother never defended me. I wasn't supported in that house.'

It's not unusual: Barbra, pictured in the 1960s, says she refused to cap her teeth or clip her nose

As a teen, she sang in the nightclub circuit just to get noticed before making it big on Broadway and cutting a first album.

Eventually she made it to films such as Funny Girl, Hello Dolly!, The Way We Were and more recently Meet The Fockers.

Barbra refused to alter her looks, stating: 'I didn't do what people said: "Change your name, cap your teeth, change your clothes, cut your nose down."

'My nose was part of my heritage, and if I had talent to sing and to act, why wasn't that enough?'

Acting aside, it's her crystal-clear singing voice that is trademark.

She gets the last laugh, as Barbra gets the Glamour Magazine's 2013 Woman Of The Year Lifetime Achievement Award.

Also this year, she was feted at Lincoln Center's Film Society Awards and opened the doors on a heart disease research centre in Los Angeles.

'As a young woman I wanted nothing more than to see my name in lights,' Barbra says.

'I couldn't have guessed how much more satisfying it would be to see my name in stainless steel on the building at Cedars-Sinai hospital that says The Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center.'

Barbra also shares her advice for achieving one's goals: 'One, find your passion. Find what you love to do,' she says. 'Two, trust your instincts. Three, stay true to yourself—people respond to authenticity, and they can smell a phony.'

Believe: The now 71-year-old entertainer, pictured performing at The Oscars in February, says she just had to believe in herself while pursuing an acting career

Isn't it funny: Barbra soared to fame after starring in Broadway's Funny Girl, left, moving on to The Owl And The Pussycat in 1970

I could go on singing: Barbra still attracts the masses as she did at her London concert in June

She added: 'Four, don't fear your self-doubt. Doubt can motivate you, so don't be afraid of it. Confidence and doubt are at two ends of the scale, and you need both. They balance each other out."

'Take risks. Don't stand on the sidelines. Get involved. It's your life. It's your country. It's your world.'

Now married to actor James Brolin, Barbra lives in Malibu, California, and is looking forward to the CD/DVD release of her 2012 Back To Brooklyn concert on November 25.

Evergreen: The Star Is Born stunner showed off her figure and her husband James Brolin at the Chaplin Awards Gala in April

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MoNewdigatemaybe, Sussex, United Kingdom, 11 hours ago

Wish I had her confidence when younger. Always thought Barbra beautiful, those eyes and her profile fascinating - not a bad singer either!

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KB, Birmingham, United Kingdom, 14 hours ago

And what is wrong with being a secretary exactly?

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Jay, NYC, 14 hours ago

I have been lucky enough to see her perform live three times and each time it was just as wonderful! When she's unable to perform live, it will be a sad day, get the chance, see her while she can!