What’s with American women? A day does not go by without either wishing my body looked different or hearing a woman voice a complaint about her own body. Some thin women want to be thinner, so do some curvaceous women; some thin women want more curves, while other curvaceous women want more curves, albeit in all the right places. It’s a never ending cycle of despair and dissatisfaction. Even I’m guilty of this negative self-talk, wishing my metabolism was quicker, my body tighter in certain sections. Sigh. What a mess we are! Women in America seem to spend more energy day-to-day on what’s wrong with their bodies than what’s right.

Along these lines, I don’t think I’ve encountered *a single woman* who was satisfied with the way her body looked, and I think this is especially evident among celebrities. Most recently, Nicole Kidman commented how she was dissatisfied with her lean form (though celebrated publicly for it), secretly wishing she possessed the curves of women like Jennifer Lopez. However, Jennifer Lopez has come under fire from the same media for actually possessing those curves.

What pains me is when I hear young girls, no older than eight years old, commenting about wanting to go on diets and needing to exercise more. For what? To look better on the playground? I just don’t understand what’s happening. What is the seat of this dissatisfaction? From where does it originate? Surely some of the blame can be placed on the shoulders and consciences of media moguls. Advertisements featuring skeletal women seem to be everywhere. They constantly bombard anyone who is looking at them with messages that promise success and wealth…all yours if you possess the “right” waistline. Commercials routinely advertise ways for women to look better and be more desirous to the opposite sex. Read: If only you do ____________ (fill in blank), then you’ll find acceptance, a partner, a life, etc…

Recently, one of Dove’s new ad campaigns caught my attention (thanks, Patia!). It’s called “Onslaught” and shows a young girl getting a rush of advertisements, encouraging her to use those products to be “thinner, smoother, lighter, etc..”. When I watched it, I realized how many of those products I could identify, having seen them often in print and visual media. ACK!

While Dove is doing something positive to help young girls and those who mentor/teach them achieve healthy self-esteems, I have to wonder what’s being done for the rest of us. What is it going to take for women to look in the mirror and love what they see?

I think it starts with a little experiment in self-love, and I think it can be achieved in two steps.

Step 1: I challenge all you women out there who read this blog (men, too) to find something about yourself that you just love. Is it your eyes? Skin? Height? Hair? Dimples? Lips? Arms? Feet?

Step 2: Once you’ve identified it, embrace it. Revel in it! Tell that part of you how much you love and admire it.

Now find something else that you love about you. Repeat Step 2. So on and so forth.

I think you get the idea. Instead of looking at your body like Enemy No. 1, why not befriend it instead? If you don’t like the shape of your thighs today, at least you have thighs you can comment upon. Some people don’t have any legs at all and would probably give anything to have yours just to be able to walk again. Here’s another thing…let’s say that you think your bum is too big. Well, why don’t you thank it for giving you excellent cushioning when you sit?! Consider this: some women are so bony that it actually hurts to sit down!

My point? Something needs to change with our thought processes, otherwise we’ll always be trying to achieve what other people tell us is acceptable rather than determine what’s acceptable to us instead. Perhaps the hardest part about all of this is that much of the work has be done ourselves. However, we can help other women in the process. Next time you see a woman with beautiful skin, instead of silently saying to yourself, “Wow…what great skin she has! I wonder what she uses.” Why not compliment her instead? I don’t know many women who refuse compliments! Bring ‘em on, I say!

The movement towards self-love may be slow, but I think it’s a step in the right direction! A very necessary step, if you ask me. To all the women out there: take ONE giant step forward! I double dog dare you!