How do you see yourself?

When is the last time you looked at your naked self in the mirror? The other day my reflection caught me as I exited the shower and I stood there, mesmerized, and for about 20 minutes I twisted and turned, lifted my arms, moved my belly, and generally checked out my assets. I'm overweight, and while I want to reshape my body, in general, I think I'm beautiful...but I can't tell you the last time my eyes lingered on my naked body. There is something inherently beautiful about accepting yourself exactly the way you are. Not that you cease to strive to improve, but to look at yourself in the mirror with all your perceived faults and say "I'm a sexy MF'er" (or some variation of that, lol). I looked at myself and marveled at the fact that even though I'm carrying umpteen extra pounds, my body works...well. My arms are fleshy, but they are able to lift my Godson and hold him in the air while he squeals with delight. My tummy might be round, but it's a beautiful tan color and baby soft. I might have thunder thighs, but they are solid and shapely. My hips might be wide, but I know that when the time comes, they will be the gateway to bringing my future children into the world.

I used to wish I was shorter. I felt like big girls shouldn't also be tall, but now I relish it. In the words of the renowned poet and scholar Juvenile..."Youse a big fine woman", lol. Anyway, I didn't have some great epiphany while I stood there, but the fact that I stood there, butt-naked, no makeup, wearing a headscarf and shower cap and I looked at myself...and felt beautiful, well...that was a great feeling. I didn't have any feelings of disgust or "omg, how did you let yourself get like that" and nothing negative crossed my mind. I just appreciated my beautiful body and marveled at all of it's intricacies.

I encourage you to do the same. Whether you have your dream body or whether you think it needs a little work...love the YOU you are NOW. Forget about the video girls, and the magazine ideals of beauty. Forget about the people that think your body needs work. Forget about the disappointment you feel when you realize that your body doesn't look as good in certain clothes as you want or the weight isn't coming off as fast or consistent as you like. Appreciate your body for how it works, marvel in your beauty and look yourself in the eye and tell yourself how much you love you. I promise you won't get rejected. :)