Do I have to look good naked?

As a reader of Cosmo for decades, I think I am supposed to believe that I look good naked. Now, let me start by saying that of the hundred people closest to me in my life, I bet none of them actually think they look good naked. I’m just guessing of course.

But neither do I.

So I have made a giant decision on this topic and declared to stop making it a goal because it’s absurd.

If I see a woman online that is in her 50’s or older, rockin’ her swimsuit and has not a wrinkle on her knees or dimple on her thigh, I’m only halfway intrigued. You can't believe much of what you see online anymore. From the ability to edit every dot and dimple to the fact that anyone can post anything about their best (pretend) self without any real proof, makes me skeptical.

But it doesn’t matter. Maybe it’s real. Maybe mother nature spared her, who knows. All I know is that for decades, I felt some external pressure to like my naked self, and I’m honestly not sure why it’s necessary. It’s not like I walk around the world without clothes on. I don’t even do that at home when I’m alone. I’m not a toddler. 

Some people are super comfortable in their own skin and see the beauty in their nakedness. God bless those people.

But I’m a grown woman in her 50’s and if there was ever a time in my life when that might have been true, that ship has surely sailed. It’s not that I hate my body either. I just think that expecting to look great in a dress, white pants, or cute jeans, is more my type of goal.

But naked?

That’s asking a lot. And it depresses me to think that I should shoot for that. 

It’s important to believe in yourself, live confidently, and have healthy self-esteem. It has been something I have been focusing on quite a bit over the last few years. But the first step in getting there is having some attainable goals, crushing them, and setting more.

That is what works for me anyway. And there is good psychology to back that up. As a matter of fact, the opposite is also true. By having unrealistic goals that are difficult or impossible to attain, you can destroy your confidence and do a real number on your self-esteem. 

There is a great Zig Ziglar quote that says, “A goal properly set is halfway reached.” That is a great standard to set for yourself. If you set an intention to achieve something you really want, it’s half the battle. So now, my step one is deciding what I really want to achieve, then I decide it’s doable, and set my action steps. 

I guess that I just decided that the answer for me on this question was, “No. I don’t need to believe that I look good naked.” If you really want to believe that, that is great, and I am sure you’re not alone. You should set out to accomplish that goal. Just set goals that really mean something to you and that you can realistically accomplish. It will do wonders for you.