Conversations with the Inspiring Meagan Stafford

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meagan Stafford.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Meagan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was 14 years old, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety that severely impacted my everyday life. Then in my junior year of high school, I started to get bullied. I was called mean names, harassed on social media, had my personal belongings, including my car and home, vandalized. After about a year, people finally started apologizing. My senior year of high school was the best. My depression and anxiety were almost non-existent. Fast forward about a year after I graduated, I got myself into a pretty toxic relationship. It was so bad that after a few months, my mental health was at an all-time low and I had hit rock bottom. I had reached a point that I felt I would never return from and thought there was nothing I could do to get out. That was the day I decided I was going to take my own life. I was obviously unsuccessful as I am getting to write out this testimony to share with everyone. It has been a long, exhausting journey to get where I am today. But I am so thankful for my struggles because, without it, I wouldn’t have found my strength. After my suicide attempt, I continuously let myself get back into that toxic relationship for the next four years where my mental health was up and down. I had finally reached a point where I couldn’t take it anymore. I finally decided to do something about it and now I’m in a place of TRUE happiness and pure contentment with my life. I have the most incredible family and friends, the cutest fur babies, and I have a job that I love. Life is so so good and I knew God had my back the whole time. I have focused so much of my time solely on self-love and finding myself again. I put myself first and made my happiness a priority over anything and my life drastically changed. I love who I am because I have fought so hard to be this girl.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
To get where I am today has not been an easy road at all. I have been through a lot of struggles that have beaten me down and made me feel weak. I have been bullied, cheated on, name called, lost friends, harassed, my things have been vandalized, had rumors spread, attempted suicide, etc. I’ve felt defeated, and low, and not worthy. I went through a phase of not feeling good enough every single day and constantly questioned my worth. Never again will I do that to myself. I have done so much self-love and healing over the years that I now know how to cope with my mental health when it struggles. If I could give advice to anyone, it’s to never give up. I know that life can be hard and bring you down, and there is going to be days where you feel like giving up. But do not do that. There is so much more to life than the dark cloud hanging over your head. Life does indeed go on, and there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am so glad I was unsuccessful with my suicide attempt because my life got so beautiful in the years to come. I surround myself with some of the most amazing people and events that I am filled with so much love and happiness that I never knew existed.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am currently a chiropractors assistant at Pure Life Chiropractic in Scottsdale, AZ. I am really new into the career field, but after two months, I am LOVING it. I have learned so much about this field and I can really see myself doing this long term! Our office is very neurologically based, which means our primary focus is the health of the nervous system. We use our space certified NASA technology to look at the spine to find any irritation and inflammation that could be causing pressure on the nerves. We use a very gentle, specific technique to release the pressure off those nerves and get the body back to optimal health! I used to suffer from migraines, but I can gladly say that after weeks of adjustments, I haven’t had a single migraine and I am grateful for that!

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
I may not have my own business, but I have overcome a lot of obstacles in my life to get where I am today. The greatest piece of advice I can give to anyone is to never give up. I know that life can be extremely hard and exhausting, and sometimes it feels like it would be easier to just throw the towel in and say “I’m done” but I promise that is not the answer. I found peace and happiness by removing the toxic people and situations in my life, going to church, surrounding myself with people who loved and supported me and doing things that made me genuinely happy. Never be afraid to always put yourself first and make sure you are your number one priority. Happiness starts with you. Make yourself a priority and do things for yourself to get you back to feeling like you again. I read a lot of self-help books, listened to a lot of podcasts, spoke to lots of counselors, took medication, hung out with friends and family, explored, did a boudoir shoot with one of my best friends to focus on my body, and just learned to love myself again.

Contact Info:

• Website: purelifeaz.com
• Instagram: itsmeaaagan
• Twitter: itsmeaaagan
• Other: itsmeagannn.wordpress.com

Image Credit:
Liv For The Moments Photography, Melinda Weible Photography

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