How to Love Your Body -- Even If You Hate It Right Now

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see a beautiful human being with sparkling eyes, a strong, capable body, and self-confidence oozing from every pore?

Or do you see an ugly human being, with sad eyes, a too fat, too thin, or too whatever body, and misery plastered all over it?

Which would you prefer to see?

Yes, it was a stupid question, most of us would love to see only beauty when we look in the mirror. Years of conditioning however, has taught us to brutally compare ourselves to whatever figure the magazines are telling us is beautiful right now.

Isn’t it time we stopped this nonsense? Maybe you’ve heard this before and maybe you haven’t, but please, hear me now.

You are beautiful. Your body is beautiful. Just the way it is.

How do I know? Because my body is beautiful. It’s also wrinkly, fat, and weirdly saggy, all at the same time. But it’s still beautiful.

And no, that’s not easy for me to say, it took commitment and practice, every day, to teach myself that I am beautiful just the way I am, and it took even more practice to truly believe it.

If you too, want to look in the mirror and see the good instead of what you think is the bad, here are the steps you need to follow.

1. Every morning, before you get dressed for the day, stand in front of a full-length mirror, look into your own eyes and state, confidently, “I am beautiful.”

It’s going to feel weird. You may cry, laugh or try to hide, but if you keep at it, it’ll get easier and -- more importantly -- it will work. You don’t have to believe it right now, and you probably won’t, but do it every morning for a week and see if it doesn't get a lot easier.

2. Treat your body as if it were a newborn baby

Do you remember when you last held a newborn? They’re such tiny, fragile little creatures and you find yourself holding them with a gentleness that you didn’t know you were capable of.

That’s how you should treat your own body. Pamper it with powder, call it cute, dress it in the warmest, comfiest clothes you can find. Give it food when it needs it, a cuddle when it needs it, and an occasional treat.

3. Every evening, when you get into bed, close your eyes, and thank your body for getting you through the day.

Make sure you come up with at least 5 specific things that you thank your body for. You can write them down, recite them in your head, or shout them from the rafters. It doesn’t matter how you do it, it just matters that you do.

None of these steps are difficult to do, but they are hard, at least to start with. The good news is that, like most things, they get easier with practice. The trick is to do them consistently. They won’t work if you only do them once a week, you need to make them part of your daily routine.

Keep in mind that when the novelty of the steps wears off, your brain is going to try to find ways to sabotage your progress. Brains are like that.

Don’t let it. Don’t wait until you’re a certain weight to start, or till after Christmas or after the baby’s walking.

Do it now. You’ll thank me later.

Your body, soul and heart will thank you now.