Self Confidence and Body Image

How do you rate your self-confidence?More importantly, how do you rate your body image? Is that what you think of when you are asked this question? Most people do.  We rarely think, “Let’s see, I’m a divine being and have high self worth……..therefore, I feel good about myself.” Hardly!Body image tied to self-confidence is never the question when we ask about self-confidence but it is ALWAYS the answer. We ask about confidence and we assume it is body image that is being questioned. Most of us hear, “How much do I approve of my body? “  This is radically different from the intended meaning, “How much do I like myself, the higher part of me, the true essence of who I am?”Most people refer to the physical body so much since so much of us is tied up into how we see ourselves in the mirror. It is our culture. Subconsciously we set ourselves against models, actors, TV stars and those gym rats that work out around the clock, no matter how hard we try not to.So, many answer the question subconsciously thinking about whether or not they like their body or at least whether it is appropriate to like their body, given its current conditions.   According to social rules and expectations, there are those lucky ones who were born physically beautiful and those that have somehow managed to create a beautiful body through surgery or exercise.  These people, we think, have good self-confidence.The rest of us are sort of relegated to the place of apology, like somehow the body we are given isn’t good enough and we need to publicly acknowledge that we know that or, if we say we actually really like our less-than-perfect bodies we are somehow lying and must be pitied. These people, we think, have low self-confidence. Nothing about these extremes ould be further from the truth.Take some time to think:  can you honestly say that you like who YOU ARE? Are you capable and kind and smart and helpful and make a difference? Are you good at a lot of things and worthwhile?  Is your life worthwhile? Are there people in your life who love you? These are the true essences of who you are. It is your slice of divinity and it is very, very good. It is the foundation for your self-confidence. Use it, celebrate it!What will you think of now, when someone asks you how you rate your “self-confidence”?Make it high! IT may help to think of the fact that there are 7 billion people on this planet, all of which are unique.  This includes you. Pretty remarkable considering we all have arms, legs, eyes, ears and a mouth.So nature pulled off one heck of a stunt to create 7 billion people who are unique! And when you consider that there has NEVER been another you and never will be, well, you have to figure that throughout time there have been maybe 20 billion people and you are the only you! Isn’t that mind-blowing?!Your uniqueness, that signature or stamp that is YOU in this lifetime really deserves to be loved and cherished. I only wish that we could find a way to transform our social perspectives on beauty and worth into an inclusive and all-loving model. We would all be so much happier.