*Nobody is perfect*

Nobody is perfect; no 'body' is perfect. While some women tend to have natural features that just happen to correspond at this moment to the current standards of beauty, these women too will age and change. And, just as certainly, the current standard of beauty will change, too. The physical features that were considered beautiful in years past are not the same features considered beautiful today. For example, small breasts were 'tres chic' not so long ago, but they are now considered to be a deformity in need of surgical alteration.

Remember, beauty is based on that which is rare. So the moment the desired feature, such as large breasts, becomes commonplace (as it is now through surgical implants) the feature will lose it's rarity, and hence, it's beauty. Soon, small breasts will be considered exotic again. Just wait and see.

So instead of trying to alter yourself to keep up with an ever-changing standard, it's best to appreciate yourself the way you are. Your uniqueness is what makes you beautiful. However, if you still insist on seeing yourself as an object, at least try viewing your self as a rare and delightful object of art.

Creative Strategy
Look around your home. Find an object you love and which you consider to be highly unique, exotic or antique. It might be natural or human-made, it doesn't matter. If you don't have anything like this, it's time you did. You need constant reminders of this kind of truthful beauty in your everyday environment, so take some time over the next while to find something. When you have it, spend some time looking at it closely and touching it gently. What is it about this object that draws you to it? It's unusual shape? It's rarity? It's lovely weathered exterior? It's inevitable cracks and chips. It's intricate design? It's origins? It's connection to your personal history or even the history of your family? Or perhaps it comes from a culture, shoreline, or time period other than your own and therefore brings with it a treasured feeling.

Now try looking at yourself with the same perspective. Maybe you too have an unusual shape; a rare feature; a beautifully weathered exterior; or a scarring from a life truly lived. Maybe you too come from an interesting, exotic place and you carry the marks and stories of your ancestors' experiences and adventures. It is interesting that we enjoy surrounding ourselves with unusual and original looking things, yet we show great disdain for these same features in bodies and ourselves. We fill our museums, galleries and shops with rare and antiquated items. This love of mysterious and ancient things reveals our need to be connected to the organic, historical and creative process of life. If we could apply some of this aesthetic to our present bodies and selves we would be much happier.

Look at your object again. Place it in front of you. Now try writing a short piece about where it might have come from and all the things it has experienced. Then, when you are ready to give your story a title, call it by your own first name.