Melanie started her YouTube channel in 2013 and rose to internet fame video blogging her thoughts on issues like body image, health, self-love, beauty and sexuality. Basically, she’s all about everything we love here at the Metro Lifestyle desk.
Her journey to self-acceptance and love became our journey, as we watched Melanie use her growing influence to open up about her struggles with disordered eating and come to terms with her sexuality.
Loving yourself is never easy, but there’s no better time to get on board than the global month of love, February.
Metro.co.uk chatted with Melanie to find out where she’s at on her journey and how she’ll be spending Valentine’s Day this year.
Melanie, can you tell us about the first time you truly felt love for yourself and what that meant to you?
‘It’s sad to say, but I was well into my early twenties before I discovered self-love. Before then it was this fleeting thing that I could catch but I couldn’t hold on to. Self-love for me meant enjoying my own company and not relying on distractions from my own mind all the time – being able to go for walks alone, having fun myself when alone at home.‘It meant accepting perceived flaws and being able to look at my own reflection and smile, rather than wince.’
‘It meant saying, “thank you” every time someone complimented me, and feeling proud of myself for achievements.’
And how did that change your life?
‘When I started loving who I am, I figured out what it actually meant to be happy.‘I realised that “happy” isn’t something that comes with being filthy rich or looking like a supermodel… it’s being able to appreciate the little things, and all the little moments in between the big ones, it’s this sort of undercurrent of calm and contentedness that I’d never felt before.
‘Loving myself has enabled me to reach for my goals and make my dreams come true because I’m no longer holding myself back… I no longer tell myself I’m not good enough or I don’t deserve it. It’s brought me self-belief.’
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