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Melinda Bam's heartfelt lesson

Johannesburg - It's the age old story. You see a picture of a beautiful girl in a magazine and you think she has the perfect life. That she loves her body, that she's confident and that everything is going just smoothly.

But all too often we're told that this isn't the case. That just like you and me, that beautiful girl has just has many body issues, wants to make some changes to her appearance, and life, well, just isn't as fab as that single picture portrays.

Former Miss South Africa, Melinda Bam recently opened up about how she has come full circle in accepting her flaws and appreciating how to be happy in the moment.

"It's so funny and ironic that all the goals I had set out for myself, were to be more like other people...when now, I look back at myself then and think "why couldn't I see then how pretty amazing I already was?" To get that bum, takes 3 times the effort now, and to put on that bikini, 3times the confidence... The spiral continues as I think of myself in 10years time, looking back at a picture of me now...thinking the exact same thing."

Melinda posted a picture of herself when she first started modelling and spoke about how it was her dream to be a Victoria's Secret model. Now, as she has matured, she says the biggest lesson she has learnt is learning to be the best she can be.

"I like me, and I only want to be me, and will always aspire to be the best version of me, and although I've only started again now...I'll never stop believing in ME ever again!"

Take a minute to read her full post below. You won't regret it.

It is so ironic looking at this picture, thinking back at the time that I took this shot, there were a million other models and women that I aspired to look like and tried to emulate. I had pictures of all the top models on my mood board and every possible workout of every #VictoriasSecretAngel. Yes, I thought it was (& is) a pretty picture, but i could still have found a million & one things that I would've liked to change about this picture to look something closer to my mood board model goals. Now I look at this photograph, & I want to be that girl again... Not the one who tried to be something else there, but the one who actually stood in front of the camera. Its so funny and ironic that all the goals I had set out for myself, were to be more like other people...when now, I look back at myself then and think "why couldn't I see then how pretty amazing I already was?" To get that bum, takes 3 times the effort now, and to put on that bikini, 3times the confidence... The spiral continues as I think of myself in 10years time, looking back at a picture of me now...thinking the exact same thing. Why is it then that we only appreciate who we were, only quite some time later. Why not, put myself on my mood board and say: "That's who I want to be", not someone who thinks everyone else is better -but me, why not look in the mirror and not find fault with what I see for a change. Why not accept a complement when someone else sees what I am actually supposed to recognize in myself, & the hard work it took to be who, and where I am now. Why not? Well, why not start now. I like me, and I only want to be me, and will always aspire to be the best version of me, and although I've only started again now...I'll never stop believing in ME ever again! #live2inspire #inspire2live @garrethbarclay #MelindaBam #wisdom #motivation #inspiration #quote #IChooseThisTuesday #femininity #confidence #believe

A photo posted by melindabam (@melindabam) on

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