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Many of us have looked in the mirror and have wished to see something else, something "better." We have wanted a curvier this and a rounder that, and we have yearned for toned thighs and ripped arms. We go on diets and we exercise diligently and sometimes frantically in order to have that perfect body.

Unfortunately, we lose ourselves in that process. We become addicted to the scale, to the gym, to what's on our plate. We soon forget to see ourselves for who we really are. We always seem to see something in the mirror that we don't like. We look in the mirror, not to admire ourselves, but to criticize and point and tease.

We can attribute this sad fact to the media, to our culture, to our peers, and to our environment in general, but the truth is that we are definitely not forced to accept the "perfect body" as fact. We can say no, yet we haven't.

I think that we can all start to embrace our bodies the way they are once we start rethinking and redefining our relationship to food, diets, and exercise. First, we must see that food is not the culprit, and that it does not make our bodies this way. Second, we must realize that diets are not the solution to our problem, since our problem is deeply rooted in society. And third, exercise must not be abused, and we cannot let exercise abuse our bodies for the sake of looking "perfect."

How do you accept your body the way it is? I have not met many people who can look into a mirror and accept all the features and characteristics that are there. And I must admit, my journey to accepting my body is not yet complete. I sometimes find myself looking into the mirror wishing that some things were different. At the end of the day, however, I realize that I'm the only me, and if I can't accept myself for who I am, then who will?

I looked through magazines and started smiling a little, thinking to myself that all these advertisements and pictures were just those: ads and pictures. They are airbrushed and run through computers and shown through camera lens; in short, they were made to be perfect. And I realized that no one is really made to be perfect. They show pictures of celebrities without make-up on and they look like I do when I wake up in the morning.

To keep it short, accepting your body is a process. For some people, the process is longer. But in the end, we all come to the same conclusion. Acceptance in a world of criticism is vital. Our bodies are what we make of them. If we do not accept them, we have the option to change them. However, that route only leads to an indefinite path that leads to self-destruction. When we accept our bodies for the way they are, then we can start focusing our lives on more pertinent issues.

Learn more about this author, Joan Inong.
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