Alicia Mccarvell is sharing a message to her younger self who 'hated herself and her body': 'Say yes now— even if it's scary'
The 34-year-old Nova Scotian is looking back at the time she 'lost' because she was unhappy with how she looked.
Alicia Mccarvell is sharing an empowering message to her followers ahead of summer.
On Thursday, the Canadian influencer and self-love advocate shared an Instagram Reel of herself encouraging her followers not to let their insecurities hold them back from having life experiences and making memories.
In the video, Mccarvell used an audio clip from "Love Is Blind" that says, "When you see and realize what you missed out on you are going to choke," while on-screen text reads, "POV: me talking to my younger self who said 'no' to everything because she hated herself and her body."
Mccarvell followed up in the caption, doubling down on her message: "Friendly reminder that the summer is coming, and your answer to everything should be yes."
The 34-year-old Nova Scotia-based influencer urged others not to waste time holding themselves back from taking photos, going to the beach, eating desserts, trying new food, or going out with friends. The content creator noted that while it "might be hard" to agree to participating in these activities, "when you finally find that place of self-love and respect you will regret all the times you said no," she penned.
"I have years of my life missing because I didn't take the pictures," Mccarvell confessed, reflecting on her own regrets, "I missed milestones for friends. I missed memories with my partner. I missed out on living my precious life and I will never get it back."
She warned her fans to avoid experiencing the "grief of time lost."
"Say yes now — even if it's scary, even if it's uncomfortable," Mccarvell wrote. "Because every time you do, you're taking the burden of regret from your future self."
Fans praised and thanked Mccarvell for her empowering message in the comments.
"This is so important. I wasted the best part of my 20s hating myself and depriving myself of experiences because I was so uncomfortable with myself and potentially being seen," an Instagram user shared. "It wasn't until 29 I realized how much I missed out on. I can never get that time back. Thank you for sharing this."
"This could not be more true," added another.
"I ended up buying tickets to two concerts and I've never done that before," a fan wrote. "I'm finally tired of not making changes and taking chances."
"This really is the best advice and it's not talked about enough! You're an inspiration," commented another.
Mccarvell, known for her candid and empowering content, shared another piece of advice for her Instagram followers back in February about how to become more confident. She revealed how she went from "hiding" in baggy clothes to feeling good in her skin.
"For the longest time, I struggled to find my confidence because I felt like confidence was solely linked to how close my body was to fitting into the world's beauty standards," the Halifax-based influencer penned in the caption. "For me confidence comes from a few different places."
Mccarvell said she was able to begin building her confidence by first separating personal identity from physical appearance. "I found confidence in knowing what I add to this world and to my relationships," she explained, adding that she also began following content creators with a body type similar to hers.
"The lens in which we see others, are not the same as the lens we see ourselves. You need to give it time," Mccarvell stated. "Continuing to follow people who look like you, and whose bodies you resonate with will allow those lenses to overlap eventually."
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