Each and every magazine is filled from cover to cover with gorgeous, flat-bellied, perfectly tan and freshly pedicured beautiful people who fall well under that "average" size label. It seemed we had drifted away from the days where people like Marilyn Monroe were considered sexy and daring with her amazing curves, to being so centered on the traditional "model" type. Year after year I would read these magazines, starting in my early teens, and pray that I would just wake up one day with the perfect body so that everyone that I wanted to notice me would. I would look longingly at all the awesome swim suits, and wish for once I could grab a bikini and go and not have to be so self conscious about it. After years of realizing that wasn't going to happen I came up with a new strategy to get my life under control and be the best me that I could be among all the truly "beautiful" people.

First thing first- realize that every person that is in a magazine has probably been photoshopped to a certain extent. Believe it or not, this took me the longest to realize. Prior to that, whether I was looking at Cosmo or Penthouse, I would spend so much time scrutinizing the women that I couldn't enjoy the magazine. No one is perfect, and chances are if it looks perfect some parts are fake.

The second thing I started doing is finding one thing about myself that I liked every day for a week. Whether it was my hair, my eyes, my boobs, or whatever it was, I would pick that one place and play it up. Believe it or not but when you have huge amounts of confidence in that one area of your body others will take notice.

Third thing is truly explore your body. Instead of rushing through a masturbation session really take the time to touch and caress your body starting at your head working toward your feet. Mimic how you would want to be touched, including all those secret indulgences that you aren't ready to tell anyone else yet. Be uninhibited and let yourself go.

Sure at first doing these things made me feel uncomfortable and at times even a little weird, but I knew in the end that it would be worth.

I realized that I was capable of being sexy and beautiful even if I wasn't a size 2. I found out sexual things about myself that I had been to inhibited to try before and surprisingly really enjoyed a lot of them. I was able to not only let myself go to explore myself, but I was able to open up more with my husband as well. Aside from all of this new found sexuality this has also taught me about myself as a person in whole. I realized that just because I walk into a room of people who are all different doesn't mean I can't be myself and be proud of who I am and where I came from. So now when I open a magazine and there are pages after pages of beautiful, hot women looking back at me I give a little chuckle, turn the page and realize that while I may not look like them I can be just as sexy, beautiful and wanted just as they are.