“We don't see things as they are,
we see them as we are."

— Anais Nin

If you're overweight, maybe this will sound familiar: you go to the bathroom to take a shower and you undress and see yourself in the mirror and think that you've just got to lose this weight. You think it looks terrible. You hardly recognize yourself. You weigh yourself every day and pride yourself on losing half of a pound and chastise yourself for gaining an ounce, with vows to exercise, eat less, eat less fatty foods, and a very long list of excuses and justifications.

It's perfectly normal to look in that mirror and pick out all your physical faults–your lines, your sags, your spots, your hair, your posture, excess fat, whatever. The closer you look, the more faults are exposed.

I thought about the fat on my body and I started thinking about it being perfect. And, you know what? It is! The body is a work of perfection. You take in quantities of fuel (food) that is more than the body needs, and it becomes like a squirrel storing it up for the winter or another time when it may be needed. Its design stores that extra all over the body with an emphasis in certain areas near the stomach and intestines where it can be readily used quickly when needed. It is not flawed–it is operating perfectly.

This perspective filled me with new thoughts of praise. I began being thankful for the way I looked and how perfectly my body was dealing with the environment I gave it. 

Begin your day appreciating yourself and how perfect you are. That joy will rub off on everyone you encounter all day.