by Lyn Michaud

Created on: December 03, 2009   Last Updated: December 04, 2009

Sexy, gorgeous confident women are not born they are nurtured. Sexy, handsome, confident men are nurtured too. You should never make changes to your body with the idea of gaining other people approval; you are the one who matters.

Don't fall for damaging factors to your body image

Comparisons to others each one of you is unique with special qualities. It is unfair to compare your assets to those of others or wish you had the attributes you admire. People who live in the public eye spend time, effort and money creating the appearance, image and persona everyone sees. And often pictures are retouched to cover flaws. You would be comparing a naturally beautiful person (you) to a crated image that is in many ways a faade utilizing the trade hints you can also use to create an illusion if you feel then need with body shapers, makeup and clothing. Don't make the mistake of believing perfect bodies provide confidence.

Criticism

Men and women are all vulnerable to negative comments about our bodies and feel the hit to our egos. The number one consideration is why the criticism is aimed at you because the motivation is usually to make you feel bad, whether from jealousy, revenge, control, abuse or a simple case of low self-esteem. No matter the motivation the criticism says more about the person saying it that about you. E en information you could use as advice may be the result of poor motivation so consider the source and don't be critical of yourself either.

Believing you must be perfect

Know for any situation how your image matters. If you are interviewing for a new job you want to make a good impression. If you are trying to meet people you may want to stand out in a crowd. If you are trying to get an acting part in an 'alternative subculture' movie or play realize you stand a better chance if you look the part. Those are all situations when your body image plays a supporting role toward the goal. Feeling good about how you look and how others see you give you the confidence to excel, but in all castes it will not make up for lack of experience, a pessimistic personality or an inability to fit in. Your body image doesn't define you.

How to be positive about your body image

Inventory yourself in the mirror and frame these questions in a positive way. What asset do you notice first? What are you proud of? Do you know why you care about the image you exhibit?

Understand why body image is important

For must of us body image is the intimate tie between our appearance

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