Do You Have the Perfect Body?

Confession: I have an easier time loving myself when I'm happy with my body.

Is this true for you too? Are your sense of self and body-confidence intertwined as mine are? I go back and forth between thinking that this link is completely natural and super unfortunate. For me, I'm probably talking about a five pound swing, jeans being a little tight, et cetera, so what's the big deal? Should this matter at all?

And then there's the question of the message we are sending to our children? I am so careful not to talk about weight and diets in front of my girls, but I wonder if they can sense when or if we care (or care too much) about these things?

None of us is Barbie. None of us should want to be Barbie or Ken or any of these outrageously unrealistic creatures. We are who we are. We will go up and down. Life is about fluctuations. We should by all means strive for optimal health and wellness, but how can we keep our sense of well-being and self-love separate from the number on the scale or the size in our jeans?

It should be noted that I titled this post very purposefully to provoke, to elicit curious clicks. None of us has a perfect body. There is no such thing. And, no, this shouldn't be the goal. There are far more important things in life - and in love - to worry about. And yet. I do think there's something to explore insofar as how we feel about our physical selves informs how we feel more generally about our more holistic selves...

Any thoughts? Do you love yourself more when you are pleased with your appearance?