By now we know how conditioned we are to dislike our bodies, taking constant mental inventories of what we want to change, and wish were different. It's no secret that we're constantly bombarded with images and ideas of what we "should" look like. We should be tall and thin, have visible abs, tan skin, thighs that don't touch, flawless makeup and hair...the list goes on, we know it all, and we know it's absurd, unrealistic, and unfair.

I have pale and bumpy skin, thighs that touch (as if they're not supposed to), my abs aren't visibly defined, and I like to go without makeup a lot of the time! (It's just my face, no I am not tired or sick, it's literally just what I look like). I have my insecurities but I refuse to let them dictate me. I own my body - not the media, not big companies that are in the business of making us feel like we need to buy their products to look and feel beautiful, not my family, my friends, my boyfriend, or people I walk by on the street or in the store. Me. My body is mine, and I love it. Here's why.

1. It's complex and fascinating as hell.

Have you ever thought about how cool bodies are? I mean, they're amazing! They're made up of so many intricate systems that work hard to make everything run smoothly and in unison. Your circulatory system, nervous system, digestive system, muscular system, and so many more work together to make up your living breathing body. And our bodies can even make brand new, living, breathing humans! Your body is a machine that just inherently knows what to do, and you're just given - you are - one of these amazing machines. That's so freaking cool.

2. It does everything it can to keep me alive and well.

My heart runs on electricity to pump my blood. My lungs inhale and exhale without my trying. My stomach digests my food for me (and knows not to digest itself). It heals cuts for me. It recharges itself with sleep. It grows hair to keep me warm, and produces sweat to keep me cool. It produces a fever to kill viruses or bacteria that are trying to hurt me. How can I not love my body when it does all this for me? How can I not repay it with good food, lots of water, and lots of movement? It's a give-and-take system, but my body, and yours too, literally exists to keep us alive.

3. Going along with number two, it lets me know when it needs attention.

Anything from hunger and thirst, to tiredness or pain, my body signals me when it needs something, or if something is wrong. It produces symptoms to say "Hey I need ___" or "You should pay attention to ___." It literally tells me how to take care of it! All we have to do is tune in and listen.

4. I get to decorate it with clothes, jewelry, makeup, piercings and tattoos!

Having a body that I can make look any way I want is so much fun. I get to use it to express myself, and show people who I am. I can use it as a canvas for beautiful art, or to showcase gorgeous and fun clothing and jewelry that makes me feel comfortable and pretty. I'm always learning new makeup techniques to play around with, which is an art form in itself, and so much fun to do. And honestly I just love piercings so much, I can't even explain why, but they're so pretty and another fun way to express yourself and decorate your vessel.

5. It allows me to perceive the world.

I have two eyes with which I can see amazing nature and landscapes, make art, write, read, and look at the people I love. My hearing allows me to listen to my favorite music, or the birds in the early morning, or my boyfriend's voice after a long day. My body allows me to taste amazing food, and smell the scents of the woods, or the ocean, or my favorite candles and perfumes. With my skin I can feel the softness of my dog's fur, the coolness of the air in October, or the heat on soft sand in the middle of summer. You're constantly perceiving amazing, beautiful, satisfying, and calming sensations all day, every day, all thanks to your amazing body.

6. It has the ability to sustain and produce another life!

As a woman I can literally make another human, or as many as I want. If that's not the coolest thing my body can do, I don't know what is.

There are so many things the media and society gives us to dislike ourselves and the way we look. They're not even legitimate reasons, just made up by companies to turn us into the ideal consumer. We need to stop focusing on looking like the models (remember - even the models don't look like models), and recognize our bodies for what they do for us. There are so many positive and beautiful things our bodies do, and to only focus on what they look like is to tremendously discredit them.