The other day I was on the elliptical and spotted a girl with AMAZING legs. You know the ones: those thin, toned, runner legs I would do anything for, except, you know, run many, many miles a day.

This is the point when my thoughts can go one of two ways. I can think of how much I hate my legs, how I could never get those legs even if I tried and how I secretly wished that her car would break down on the way home and all her worldly possessions would suddenly catch on fire, because for some reason women wish bad things upon other women. And, yes, it is usually out of jealousy, no matter how much they insist it is not.

I tend to go the other direction, and simply think: Good for her.

I have found that the more I admire other people, the more I appreciate myself, and my own hard work.

Its easy to look at someone with a body you want, and instantly think “why can’t I have that?” Next time, instead of putting yourself down, use other people to pump yourself up.

She obviously works hard and good for her. If I want what she has, I must as well. So I will now work hard. Good for me. I won’t be able to have those legs exactly, but I can work to get mine the best they can be.

How often do you compare yourselves to others? How many negative thoughts about your body do you think a day?

Think of all the wonderful things your body does for you. My legs have always been my “trouble spot,“ but they have walked me into every great adventure I have experienced and away from every bad situation I potentially could have gotten myself into. Take some time today to think about the positive things about your body you usually complain about. Take some time today to look at yourself and say, “I like how I look, and its only going to get better.”