Open nearly any magazine or Google any ideas you’ve ever had about your body, and the messages are clear.

You’re fat, wrinkly, hairy, weak, ugly, full of toxins, and an all-around mess of miserable flaws.

BUT…as luck would have it, there are infinite creams, detoxes, cleanses, shakes, powders, bars, diets, workouts, meal plans, and gurus promising to fix your inadequacies.

Indeed, our incessant insecurities and indefatigable doubts fuel a multi-billion dollar industry.

But for all the time we spend focused on how our bodies look, we’ve forgotten what they do. 

Amidst our obsession with fat rolls, muffin tops, cellulite and stretch marks, we’ve forgotten the magnificent feats that our bodies have accomplished in our lifetime – and still undertake on a daily basis.

The scraped knees, busted lips, broken bones, and 8-year-old version of you who thought you could fly.

The neurons that have formed pathways to help you remember where you’ve been so you can swim, hike, bike, walk, paddle, fish, run, and shop and still get home safely.

The delicious meals that it’s transformed into cool shit like muscles, eyelashes, liver enzymes, and skin.

The millions of data points that it processes per day to guide your thoughts, decisions, habits, and actions.

The 2,000 gallons worth of blood that it pumps through the chambers of its heart every day – forming a support system for the 37.2 trillion cells that make up your body.

Indeed, it’s a work horse, and it’s scrambling 24/7 on your behalf.

Yet despite these extraordinary feats, we spend more time worrying about whether it looks cute and trim while its synchronizing trillions of cells as a living, conscious being.

In fact, it’s been estimated that women spend an average of 355 days of our lives counting calories and worrying about our weight, and 17 years of our lives trying to lose weight. Men average only slightly lower.

By contrast, we spend only 115 days of our lives laughing and a paltry 48 days having sex.

While we could argue that there is an evolutionary advantage to being attractive, we’re hardly considering our own evolutionary biology when we fear our love handles. Sadly, we can thank the myriad of messages that bombard us on a daily basis for that.

Ironically, we know that what those who are dying regret more than anything is losing their bodies.

The body that’s danced, kissed, cuddled, hugged, walked, climbed, kayaked, biked, and swam.

The body that’s navigated rocky outcrops and frigid mountaintops to enjoy brilliant sunsets and exquisite views.

The body that’s been covered in sunscreen, salt, and sand after a day exploring the waves and learning to surf.

The body that’s stacked wood, built campfires, laughed with friends, and reveled in the smoky scent of memories that lingered in your hair and on your clothes.

The body that transported you through first days of school, first cars, first loves, and first jobs.

The body that marvels at fireflies, full moons, and meteor showers.

The body that houses every joy, every smile, and every memory you’ve ever built.

Yet someday the time will come to part ways with this one and only vessel you’ve ever known. The only thing in life that’s ever been truly, wholly, undeniably yours.

So as you critique your love handles, muffin top, or stretch marks, maybe it’s time to give your own body some credit. It’s done remarkable things for you every moment of your life.

And you still have some amazing adventures left to share.