DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend’s husband asked me to make a birthday video for his wife. I was happy to do it because I love her so much. But when I saw the video that I made, I cringed. I remember me from 25 years ago when I met my friend, not the older, out-of-shape woman who was staring at me in that video. I considered deleting the video and just saying I didn’t have time to complete it, but I thought about my friend and imagined that she would be thrilled to have me be a part of it. How can I feel comfortable about how I look? -- Not Myself
DEAR NOT MYSELF: Most people look different today than they did 25 years ago. Look around at your friends and notice how they actually look. Chances are, many are physically heavier, some may be smaller, others may have a bounty of wrinkles, plenty will have gray hair or artificially colored hair. The point is that people age and change over time. Stop beating yourself up.
Instead, if you don’t like what you see, do something about it. Take yourself to the gym. Go to a nutritionist and follow an eating plan that will help you shave off the pounds. Let your cringing motivate you to transform that expression into a satisfactory smile!
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)