When I found body positivity, I couldn’t find me.
Where was the girl with the scars?
Scars are something you don’t think about unless you have them. Scars are something that aren’t discussed, especially when you do have them.
Everyone in body positivity was talking about weight and so the only marks they discussed were weight related ones – stretch marks but HOW ABOUT SCARS?! This is why I started Scarred Not Scared.
Instead of complaining about a community that was meant to be inclusive, I created a space for it. Instead of feeling left out, I forced myself in. Instead of saying “what about me?”, I started saying “why not me?”. Instead of feeling snubbed and ignored, I introduced myself, said hi and made friends with people who I can now call life-long friends.
When I launched my campaign in 2013, I still hesitated when I called myself Scarred. The important thing is that I said it though, even if my voice wobbled while doing so. I made my first video about it, even though I didn’t know all the answers and within a year, talking about scars became normal to me.
Scarred Not Scared is my passion project, my pride and joy.
Mindset For Life was my coaching business, my career, my job.
You don’t have a mindset for life, you evolve, you shift, you grow. Back in 2013, I didn’t realise how much of my trauma I hadn’t yet released. Now I have and now I must evolve.
To mark the occasion, I’m changing my username. I’m still ME, I’m still Michelle Elman but now, I’m @scarrednotscared
And I can’t think of a better way to mark today than to be in that very same bikini that started it all, using the body I love to go swimming with one of the people in my life that I love most. See you tomorrow, for now, I’m off swimming with my bestie ?
#SCARREDNOTSCARED