Today, I saw a video of a beautiful woman crying her eyes out over her body image.  Her face was stunning, even with her tears, and I remembered how I wished I could grow up to look like her whenever I watched her in her TV sitcom One Day at a Time.  She was my childhood role model, Valerie Bertinelli.

Recently, someone had body shamed her, and it brought her to tears in a recent Instagram post.  But, to me, she had nothing to cry over.  She’s beautiful.  Most women would give anything to look like her.  Her face is as sweet as an angel’s.

I wish I could replace her tears with smiles, happiness, and nothing but unconditional love.  If I could pass on the greatest advice I have similarly ever received, it would be this:

First, don’t focus on your appearance.  Focus on getting active.  Fitness is attractive because it is healthy for the brain and will make you feel better.  Feeling good or bad is based on what is happening in the brain, not the body.

Second, focus on healthy eating choices.  Consume things that give you nutrition, not remove it.

Third, add meditation to your daily routine: five to ten minutes a day, to start the day and end the day.

Fourth, interact with positive friends and family that make you feel good, not bad.

Fifth, if there are any toxins in your life, from foods to drinks, then remove them from your life.  Replace them with the inputs for a healthier state of mind or state of being.

Sixth, learn how to control the mind to be happy most, if not all, of the time.  I’ve done this through books, courses, and free YouTube videos from The Marriage Foundation.  I feel The Marriage Foundation will teach you how to love unconditionally all others, especially your own eternal soul.

Seventh, develop your spirituality by reading religious texts from all religions.

Eighth, stay off social media.  It’s antagonistic and bears little to gain.  There is better time spent elsewhere.

Last, above all else, avoid the traps of vanity that base your perceptions on yourself in a negative light.  To me you look very similar to what you looked like in your prime.  You are very attractive to this day.  The only thing that has really changed is your perception.  All the changes outlined in this article can lead to changes that will help you develop your higher self.

Happiness isn’t sold per pound.  There are many women who are not just overweight, but morbidly obese, who are happy and friendly and super fun to be around.  It’s their beautiful souls, just like your true inner beauty, that are highly attractive to most anyone.

I, too, throughout my life, put a lot of emphasis in my appearance, which caused me anguish.  But I since discovered the secret of how to love unconditionally.  As a result, I now understand that it isn’t our bodies that matter the most in love; it’s our hearts.

The body is fleeting.  Love is eternal.  And pure, eternal love and joy, lovely Valerie, is your true essence.