Elizabeth is a kindhearted, genuine, intelligent woman. She’s battled depression, dealt with drinking problems, and made her fair share of unwise decisions. But through that, Elizabeth prevailed.
Her story isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. Even still, Elizabeth learned how to think positive thoughts and manifestations. She's better for it today, and if you’d like to get on that positivity train, I’d say to keep on reading and see the great in-depth conversations she and I had at her interview.
Maggie: I like to get into these interviews and talk about experiences, achievements, and goals. I like to dig deep and see what my girls have been through and where they’re headed. Can we start with a bit about your past? Tell me a part of your story. What made you who you are today?
Elizabeth: Hmm, my story is actually a little bit difficult to tell. Honestly, until college, I had a fairly normal upbringing. I participated in sports while attending middle school and later joined the marching band in high school.
Things changed when I went to college, though. I sort of found myself in this deep depression. I started drinking to fix a lot of that emotional pain. Eventually, the drinking led to several bad decisions. One of which made me a sexual assault victim my junior year.
After that, I fell further into my depression. Since then, it’s been a tough journey, learning to love me again. I’ve had help from my wonderful counselor throughout the years, and I’ve learned to give myself daily affirmations. I’m slowly getting there.
All I know is sharing my story with other young women has made me more confident. It’s allowed me to feel beautiful and worthy again.
M: You’re so incredibly brave for telling me and the rest of the world your story. Before I ask my next question, I want to thank you for sharing that tough part of your life with us.
I’d also like to talk about how you came out on top after the depression, drinking, and sexual assault. What do you love about yourself that changed after that period of your life? In what way did you become a better person?
E: A lot changed after that period of my life, but I’d have to say my favorite feature about myself now is my positivity. I do everything I can to find the silver lining in every situation, even if it’s difficult. By practicing this philosophy, each day gets a little better.
M: You make a great point. I’m sure your life experiences have made you come to many great realizations. Are there any other words of wisdom you can share with the women of the world?
E: If I could say one thing, it would be to write down three things you love about yourself whenever you’re feeling down. Make sure you put this list somewhere where you can see it every single day. Whenever you’re feeling ‘ugly,’ repeat this list to yourself. Though, none of us gals should ever feel ugly because all women are beautiful.
M: That’s a fantastic idea; I should definitely start doing that. Such a simple piece of advice, but it goes a long way.
Your story and all of the wise words you have to offer, do you know and understand that you’re a uniquely powerful woman?
E: I’m slowly starting to realize that I’m able to take control of my life. I’m able to do what I want moving forward, and I do think that makes me uniquely powerful.
I also think I’m bold enough to state what I want and why I want it. But I know the balance, and I can be compassionate and open-minded enough to listen to other peoples’ opinions.
M: It’s been a great experience hearing you answer my questions and having the opportunity to sit here with you and photograph you. Elizabeth, you have a beautiful soul - you’re all around beautiful!
I just want to wrap up this discussion with one more question before I let you go. Is there any other part of your story, or any personal opinion, you’d like to vocalize before we wrap up?
E: Hmm, for starters, I’m still a work in progress. People see that I’m super confident in pictures, but honestly, it’s not always like that. I try to manifest positive thoughts and confident feelings, and I genuinely believe that if you tell yourself something often enough, eventually it’ll start to sink in and be real.
Second and last, one more piece of advice. Recently, I’ve found that if I take an hour or two once a month to focus on myself, I come back to reality more prepared to take care of others in life. I think it’s very important to have your “you” time when you get the opportunity.
Wasn’t Elizabeth wonderful? It’s true, she went through her battles but she came out a winner on the other end. Sharing her stories with us took a lot of courage, but she also displayed just how spectacular she turned out to be with her warm and wise words of advice.
I know I’m going to listen to her and have some more quality “me” time in the future - and I’m going to do my best to take control and stay in control of my life through positivity! How about you?
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