The Next Step...

So last week I went on camera to talk about my #SaveTheDal campaign, politics, how to defeat bullies, how to deal with negativity and what message I would give young people.

I will make sure to share the video when it is posted online, I think young people have a lot to learn from the likes of myself. I have been through a massive amount of negativity coming from all different directions and I'm still standing strong.

"Fitting In"

I understand that there is massive amounts of pressure to be put on young people these days, to look good, to have the best, to be popular. Massive amounts of peer pressure is being thrown onto the youth of today, to "fit in" and this is only going to cause chaos, because what exactly is fitting in?

When I was in secondary school, I didn't exactly fit in, I always had different interests to the majority, I wanted to play football, I wanted to be a mechanic, I wanted to start modelling and these are not "normal" interests for a young girl from a small town to be thinking. How dare I? 

But what I can say is that, I did everything I wanted to - I didn't listen to the people telling me to fit in, I didn't listen to peer pressure, I was myself and I still behave in the way I want, I cannot apologise for not conforming to what other people see as their "normal", but can anyone answer me, what exactly is normal?

I find it disgusting how the youth of today are made to feel just because they have their own interests and differences than the majority. There is no such thing as normal.

I have younger girls who look up to me, I have young family whom I am worried about living in a society like today's, who are afraid of change, who are scared of people who step out, break the mold, so they attack it. I have had so many people attack me because I don't conform. But I never will, so they should just stop while they're ahead. Anytime a young person asks me advice, I will always take the time to try and help them. I also give advice to people the same age as me, and older (I don't discriminate).

Peer Pressure

I understand that growing up people are under extreme peer pressure now, and one type of peer pressure that I know a lot about, is the pressure to try new things - Sex, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs! These are all things I am very aware that goes on in todays society, which has always went on and always will happen. This is something I feel passionate about and something I want to help with.

I know I am very good at talking about subjects people feel they can't mention, and therefore I believe I am the right candidate to talk about this, also seeing as I have first hand experience of drug and alcohol misuse.

Everyone who knows me, knows my take on drugs - my brother was a drug addict, I have experienced drugs ruining families, relationships, friendships and I have watched my brother throw his life away because of drugs. Living in a small town, I see younger and younger people now experimenting with drugs, and it is such a pity. They don't realise what they are doing, they think it's cool, it's fun, it will make them "fit in". It won't... 

Drugs do nothing but give you a false reality, they ruin your life, the way you look, the way you perceive things. People will always experiment with drugs and will take drugs, this isn't something that can be changed, because no matter what is set in place - people seem to end up getting their hands on more and more drugs.

I plan to challenge young people, they are the youth generation and what our world is going to have to deal with when my generation is gone and the generations before me, so they need to be educated. Educated in school, educated in life, educated in substance misuse, something that is so common nowadays, so common that it's scary.

I believe with my knowledge and experience of seeing a loved ones life get swept away with drug and alcohol misuse, that I would be the perfect person to speak to younger generations on drug abuse, about "fitting in", about how to deal with bullies and how to be happy in your skin.

Stormont

I plan to head to Stormont on Monday 8th December, with DUP Councillor Luke Poots to meet with and talk to the policing board on how I can challenge this issue.

Luke and I have grown a great business relationship so I plan to work closely with him to try and challenge this issue, my plan is to get talking to young people from all different backgrounds, share my experiences and hopefully help some people with what they are dealing with.

Obviously my main focus is the drug issue in towns, rural areas and cities, alcohol abuse and bullying, but I also plan to help young people in many different ways. I know Luke helps with a lot of different charities, some of them being: Savia, Fields of Life, Marie Curie Lisburn-Hillsborough and the Deborah Project.

Luke has helped set up a home for drug addicts in his constituency through the free Presbyterian Church, this is such an admirable thing to do and I look forward to working with him on the many different projects I will be taking on throughout my time spent in this field, and I intend to make it a long time. 

This won't go away today or tomorrow, but with the help of DUP Councillor Luke Poots and the help of many others, I believe we can make a start today and try our hardest to change things for the better.

Live Interview this morning with Frank Mitchell on U105

So yesterday morning I received a missed call from the Radio station U105 to say that I was wanted on to speak as a guest; so this morning I went live with Frank Mitchell :)

Regarding my latest campaign to save Dalriada Hospital, Frank had quite a few questions to ask about the risqué photo, which to every question I answered. He went on to talk about my blog and about my rather political type mindset. He was quite shocked at 22 years old how much I wanted to get involved with the ongoing campaign to save Dalriada Hospital as most 22 years olds are out "partying" and "getting on with their lives" - Which is obviously very, very true :) but then again I have a different mindset to most 22 year olds.

I told Frank that I wanted to promote confidence, I wanted to promote more young people getting involved in campaigns now that will affect THEIR future, and their childrens futures.

Every type of campaign, fundraiser or work I take on, all has some sort of benefit to promoting health, fitness, culture, confidence or something positive. When I was younger I would have used modelling to get me where I am today, to get me the followers that I need and now that I have a bit of a following, I use that to then work to my benefit.

Not only did I use the #SaveTheDal selfie to promote awareness for the closure of Dalriada Hospital (which I have received inside information to say that Jim Wells knows full well of my campaign), but I have also used it as a confidence booster for young women and men.

This is not to say that I want young girls or young men to get their "kits off" but looking at the bigger picture it shows them how to deal with negativity, negative press and how to brush it off - the amount of younger people who have contacted me and asked how do I do it? How do I stay so positive after so much negativity? I give them young people advice, I answer all of their emails and I don't shatter their illusions of me. I am a normal girl, living a normal life, but I want to give back and I want to help in any way I can. I have been very blessed with such a strong outlook on life, but it wasn't always this way.

I have received much negativity from the age of 15 because I started modelling. Being from a very small town it was shunned upon, you were made feel "stupid" to want to become a "model". But I did it anyway. I have always done my own thing, because that's all I can do, and that is all each and every one of us can do. Be nothing but ourselves.

Where I am today is because I have battled with many things: bullying, depression, constant negativity, being told "I can't" over and over again, being physically attacked, being belittled, being made fun of, going through a tough teenage time when my brother was addicted to drugs, being mentally abused by ex-boyfriends, my brother being murdered - you name it and I have went through it.

But THAT is what I have come through to make me such a strong person now - it was not easy and you have to be pretty thick skinned to make it out alive, but I wouldn't change it.

This is what I want to promote to young people, no matter what you go through, what is thrown your way, you can handle it. I have lost friends due to suicide, I have lost friends due to illnesses, I haven't given up, because "whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" and I want young people to always remember this. To remember they aren't alone, that every strong person once started off weak, that bullies were once bullied themselves and it is not you that the problem lies with.

If someone belittles you, feel a pity on that person - do not retaliate, it is them that needs the help - not you!

I hope this article might help someone who is going through a hard time, who feels "alone" or feels scared to be themselves because of what others will think. This is the bigger picture to my #SaveTheDal campaign.

Always be who you want, as long as you are not hurting others, then you can be who you want to be. 

The closure of my local town's hospital is under threat. Jim Wells and the Health Trust have decided to close it "temporarily" until further notice. We know that this "temporary" is nothing but an insult, we know that there is no hope of it opening again.

Ballycastle's Dalriada Hospital has been home to many and it is a big family. The closure has come with nothing but devastation and heartbreak for the staff and the patients.

Dalriada hospital is the only MS centre in Northern Ireland, their closure makes no sense. The trust have promised to move the patients and staff elsewhere, but when faced with the question "Where?" they had no answers, instead they sat in silence whilst the politicians beside them had to give evidence on why this is such a disgusting and appalling decision.

There can be different accounts from the patients and staff found at this link below:

http://www.u.tv/News/Hundreds-picket-against-Dalriada-closure/fd7fb68a-2ccc-47d8-9f9c-2d5c96328231

And:

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/dalriada-patients-in-legal-bid-to-prevent-closure-of-hospitals-ms-unit-30734333.html


The closure to this hospital has came as a complete burden, everyone feels outraged that they could do such a thing.

But by signing the petition (here): https://www.change.org/p/jim-wells-northern-ireland-health-minister-stop-the-closure-of-dalriada-hospital?recruiter=173787139&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive

This will help towards the hospital not closing.

I recently put up a photo of my chest with #SaveTheDal written across it to raise awareness, and knowing that it would spark a lot of controversy, I decided to anyway - knowing that in this case "all publicity is good publicity" - and I was right. There have been over 2k views on the photo since I put it onto my social media site, which can be found here:  http://www.facebook.com/MegHanONeillmodel

I also explained in a video why I decided this was the best way for me to help, as well as attending pickets, protests and speaking out at the public meeting.

Please help us and please sign the petition. #SaveTheDal #NoMoreCuts

Everyone who knows me will know I don't take on any negativity that comes my way, I simply decide to walk away from it, rather than to confront it.
As the saying goes:

"Playing chess with a pigeon is like arguing with an idiot, no matter how good you play, the pigeon is going to shit on the board and strut around like he won anyway."

And this is exactly the take I have on life. I don't argue with people whom I believe, will do as the pigeon does, I will not stress myself out over it. Instead, I take myself away from the negativity that they want to surround me in.

You will always meet negative people in life, but these are not the people you should surround yourself with. If you surround yourself with negative people, it is only you to blame, when you start thinking negatively and start behaving in a negative manner.

Who in their right mind wants to feel negatively towards others and in-turn, feel bad about themselves? This will only lead to anxiety, depression and mental health issues in the long run. I have met so many negative people in my life, I have tried to help them and bring them round to my way of thinking, but in the end - you can only try so much and you will then realize you're failing miserably.

Negativity is a frame of mind, the owner of that mind has to break its code to be set free, surround yourself with positivity and you will find yourself having a better outlook on life.

This is my outlook on life - be positive and positive things will happen you :)
Have a healthy body and a healthy brain, you will in turn be much happier.

#FitnessModelGal

I don't know if many people buy the Sunday World, but on Friday I visited the Belfast Telegraph tower to discuss life after my brothers death and how I've grabbed life with both hands.

It was nice to finally get to say my own side, I spoke of the loss in a positive (if there is one) way. How I'm dealing with it now, I dismissed the lies that have been spoke about my brothers death, I talked about the fact he had a problem with addictions and what it was like living with that for the years leading up to his death.

It was a very positive article and I'm very happy with it :)

I have decided to start blogging to talk about fitness, how it's helped me and how I'm using it to challenge my inner hurt. To talk and inspire people living with problems that they might not usually talk about.

I currently write poetry as well for depression aware campaigns, trying to get the taboo subject, no longer "taboo" so if anyone has any questions, please feel free to throw them at me :)

#FitnessModelGal