When I first met author/actress/photographer Melanie Calvert Benton in person not long ago it like being welcomed by a ray of sunshine. She really did light up the room with her smile and magical personality, and her sense of humor won the room over. It would be difficult to imagine her any other way.
Unfortunately, just about three years ago, she wouldn't have been the same playful, vibrant woman that I met. In telling me her story, Melanie showed how she is a living example of our theme of the year: New from the inside out.
"I was very closed off to myself," she related to me during our interview on Conversations LIVE in late October. "No one would pay attention to me." Being overweight at the time Melanie says she felt almost invisible. Not only did it seem as though no one could see her. It was almost as it the world felt like she had nothing to share.
When she began making what she calls "lifestyle changes" it was as if the whole world noticed.
"I started losing the weight," she relayed to me. "At that time people became interested in what I was doing: the photography, acting, motivating speaking." Melanie used the changes she was making as an example to others as to what was possible for them. "The more I was speaking with people [about it] the more I felt I was healing myself from within."
Because she knows firsthand what it's like to be ignored and to feel less than, Melanie makes sure that no one around her feels that way. "It's as simple as sitting down and sharing a genuine interest in what others are doing," she explains. "Others have to know that we like them and love them for who they are on the inside."
The lessons that Melanie Calvert Benton have learned have definitely aided her as in all areas of her life. Through her website www.fatkat.us she shares her story and that of others and allows them to see what is possible for them as well.
For those who are looking to make serious changes in their lives, Melanie offers these questions for reflection: "Are you where you want to be? Would you like to see yourself in a better place?" By answering these questions honestly and openly you begin the process of changing your life for the better.
As she continues to do what she enjoys the most, Melanie realizes that there is a special assignment for her life. "God has something better for me to do, and I'm walking on that pathway. I'm climbing higher."
May we all learn how to do the same, becoming the person we are truly meant to be.
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