Once Eve realized she was naked, you can bet that all Adam heard about was her cellulite, big butt and the extra five pounds she was carrying. Women seem genetically predisposed to verbally hack up their physical appearances. Breaking out of this thought pattern is going to take some serious re-hardwiring on your part. If you’re ready to feel good naked, keep reading.
Think like a guy
Generally speaking, men don’t obsess about their appearances like women do. They don’t spend half an hour putting on makeup or a fortune on anti-aging potions. Yet all men, no matter how attractive or unattractive, think they deserve bikini models. Take a cue from the guys and relax your position on your looks and deem yourself worthy of a cologne model. If women tried a little at this, you’d see fewer Snookie wanna-bes and a lot more confident women strutting around.
Focus on the positive
Read those four words until they become a reflex. So what if your lips are a little thin? Maybe you have a head of hair for which most women would kill. Your butt might be a little big, but women spend a lot of money to make their chests look like yours. The real world has no room for perfection, so let go of that notion right now. You have beautiful ________ (fill in the blank). Capitalize on the good, and ignore the bad. Do it until all you see is the good stuff.
Fix it
If something is really bothering you to the point of distraction, shut up and fix it already. Exercise. Go under the knife. Buy a padded bra. Wear Spanx. In keeping with the positive focus, you have to make the best of the negative. Fix it, cover it up, and deflect from it. Do whatever it takes to make your flaw a non-issue (or at least less of an issue).
Embrace the reasons behind the flaws
If you have to tuck your tummy into your waistband because you had twins, remember: You have twins. What a blessing! If you inherited Grandma’s knobby knees, remember that you love her. Love Grandma, love her knobby knees. If your hair is thin since your cancer treatments, remind yourself that you’re a cancer survivor. Being at one with your appearance starts when you don’t just embrace your flaws, but also the reasons behind the flaws.
Gain perspective
Are you healthy? Are your kids? Do you have a great job and/or significant other? Is your life a good place to be for all intents and purposes? Go with that. What if you looked like Uma Thurman, but your life was a hot, sucky mess? Looks are worthless if you don’t have anything to back them up. People tend to be more envious of a loving marriage, rewarding career, adorable kids or a cool life than they are of perfectly white teeth.
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