Loving yourself doesn’t always arrive in a big, cinematic moment. Sometimes it shows up quietly in the choices you make when no one is watching, in the pauses you allow yourself to take, in listening inward instead of pushing through. For Madison, choosing herself meant slowing down and listening inward. It meant rebuilding self-trust after a very public heartbreak, when outside opinions about her body, worth, and relationships threatened to drown out her own voice.
How has learning to trust yourself changed the way you move through relationships and life?
Trusting myself has changed everything. I don’t rush the way I used to. I pay attention earlier to how I feel in my body, to whether something feels calm or chaotic, aligned or forced. I no longer ignore discomfort just because something looks good on the outside. That shift has allowed me to approach relationships, work, and even daily decisions with more clarity. It’s not about being closed off; it’s about being present and letting things unfold naturally instead of forcing outcomes.
What boundaries do you protect today that you didn’t realize were essential before?
One of the biggest boundaries I protect now is my time and energy. I’ve learned that not everything deserves immediate access to me. I also protect my emotional space — I don’t engage in situations that require me to shrink, over-explain, or prove my worth. These boundaries didn’t come from fear; they came from understanding myself better. They allow me to show up more fully, not less.
For women who may be questioning their worth, their bodies, or their instincts — what do you want them to hear right now?
You don’t need to prove anything to be worthy. Your instincts are there for a reason, and you’re allowed to listen to them. You’re allowed to slow down, to change your mind, and to choose yourself , even when it doesn’t make sense to everyone else. Loving yourself isn’t selfish; it’s grounding. And trusting yourself might be the most important relationship you ever build.
Spending time with Madison doesn’t feel like sitting across from someone you’ve seen on TV. It feels more like girl talk, the kind of conversation where you’re catching up, settling in, and realizing how open it feels almost right away.
Yes, her story played out in front of cameras. But what drew me in most wasn’t the visibility. It was everything that came after.
“There’s a part people don’t see,” she shared. “When it’s over and you’re left alone with everything you felt.”
The part where life keeps moving, emotions linger, and you’re left figuring out what was real, what was noise, and who you want to become after it all. She talked about how disorienting it was once everything played out publicly. When the cameras stopped, but real life didn’t. Suddenly, it was quiet. No edits. No commentary. Just you and your thoughts. She didn’t shy away from how heavy that felt.
Being on Love Is Blind changed how Madison learned to listen to herself. That experience taught her to go inward and drown out the noise, especially when outside voices grew loud. When opinions came fast and heavy, she learned to get quiet. But that quiet wasn’t about pulling back or disappearing. It was clarity. And loving herself didn’t have to stay quiet either. It became a steady sureness that showed up through habitual actions and the boundaries she kept, the pace she chose, the standards she no longer negotiated. Over time, she realized that how she treated herself set the tone for everything else. When we show people how we love ourselves, they follow suit. We teach people how to treat us.
Not everything she took from the experience was heavy. Some of the truest love she found came through friendship. The women she met. The bonds that formed through shared experience. Madison talked about how real that felt, and how being surrounded by people who truly understood her mattered more than she expected.
What came next wasn’t loud.
She began slowing down, paying attention to how things felt instead of how they looked. She learned to notice the difference between calm and chaos, and to stop rushing toward anything just to feel settled.
Trust didn’t return all at once. It showed up gradually, listening to herself again, honoring discomfort earlier, and allowing things to unfold instead of forcing them.
Boundaries came up naturally in the conversation. Not as rules, just awareness. Madison reflected that the longest relationship we have is with ourselves, and when we love ourselves first, it creates space for others to love us too.
She also spoke honestly about the impact of words. How comments and opinions can cut deeper than people realize, especially after something plays out publicly. Comments about her body were some of the hardest to shake, and learning to tune out that noise became part of her healing.
Learning what to hold onto and what to release became part of her growth.
“I used to think choosing myself meant losing something,” she said. “Now I see it as creating room for what actually fits.”
That line stayed with me.
Because what makes Madison’s growth so relatable isn’t how big it is. It’s how normal it feels. She’s not chasing a version of herself. She’s not trying to get anywhere. She’s just paying attention now.
By the end of our conversation, she said something simple. She’s loving herself unapologetically now. Not loudly. Not for show. Just honestly.
And that is the love that matters the most.
To follow along with her journey, find @madisonvm on Instagram.
"Choosing myself wasn’t about proving anything. It was about slowing down, listening inward, and learning to trust my own voice again."
“Slowing down changed everything for me. I stopped rushing toward connection and started listening inward. Trusting myself meant honoring my boundaries, paying attention to how I felt, and letting clarity arrive naturally instead of forcing situations that never felt fully aligned. It taught me patience, self-respect, and confidence I carry.”