Plus-size model Hunter McGrady made a name for herself as the first size-16 model to appear in a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. The 27-year-old now uses her fame to send a message about body inclusivity and self-love. So it's no surprise that she's become an expert in positive self-talk—and she's sharing her favorite phrase with Health.
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"My mantra is ‘I am worthy,'" McGrady tells Health. "I am such a firm believer in mantras. I think that ‘I am worthy’ stems from me finding myself, and finding my self-confidence and self-love through this journey. 'I am worthy' is something I say to myself every single day."
McGrady relies on the mantra to deal with negative feelings that come up in her day-to-day, and it's a reminder to herself that she should be proud of all of the hard work she's done to get where she is today.
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"It is ‘I am worthy of love,’ ‘I am worthy of success,’ ‘I am worthy of positive talk,’" she explains. "I think a lot of us feel that one and a lot of us feel like we have to measure up or be something in order to get the validation we need, and the truth of the matter is, we are all so worthy as we are, and we show up, and we are enough. And every single one of us, every single human on this planet, is worthy of wonderful things."
McGrady says this saing has become a form of meditation for her, especially when she feels self-doubt. When she founds herself feeling undeserving of everything she's earned, she calls up her mantra, which allows her to refocus and remove those anxious feelings.
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"It’s important to know that you are worthy," she says. "You’re worthy of so many things in this world, and you are worthy of feeling all of the things that you are feeling: love, adoration, feeling beautiful, feeling successful, feeling empowered, feeling powerful, feeling confident, you are worthy of that. That is something I hold near and dear to my heart, and this will continue being my mantra throughout my life, it is so special to me."
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