I have coached hundreds of women over the years who have or are currently struggling with body image issues. When they speak about it, I completely feel their pain. I really understand it as I hid for many years behind my body image issues.

It took me a long, long time to fully understand that the struggle with my body image was keeping me from growing and expanding my entire life. I realized, in the process of struggling with my body image issues, I was disconnected from my personal power.

If I had been connected to my personal power, I would not have been critical of my body at all. I would have honored myself and only noticed my beauty and wonder. I would have taken action to create my most yummy life.

Instead, I stayed in pain and missed opportunities for fun, love, and adventure.

My BIG turning point was when I realized my body images issues were nothing but a BIG DISTRACTION keeping me in hiding, preventing me from taking risk and living the life I really wanted to live.

I deeply began to understand that obsessing about my body was a big decoy because I was really afraid of not being enough, failing, measuring up, to receive love, my life change, and so on, and so on.

I now know how to live a life FREE from struggling with body image issues, and I want to help you find this freedom too. It's very empowering and life changing.

I learned a huge reason why we struggle. Struggling only keeps us from expanding and up-leveling our life and business. Body image issues constrict us (at every level) and deplete and drain us, and keep us imprisoned. It blocks true intimacy with life, keeping us from savoring or experiencing it fully.

When we obsess about our body, it is a huge indication that something is out of alignment within our heart, mind and life. It shows us we are disconnected from our truth and personal power and are hiding from what we are really afraid of.

Many women I have worked with have struggled with their body image. It breaks my heart because I know these women really desire a full and bodacious life with complete emotional and financial freedom.

Body image issues are a big distraction, keeping you confined from taking action and fully creating the life you want.

Here are some guidelines you can follow to move away from body image issues and into full freedom where you love your body and allow success to come to you:

Who would you be and what would do (confident, happy, blissful, really successful)?

1. Your body is completely brilliant and takes care of all things for you. Honor it. Respect it. Fuel it and listen to it.

2. Create a list of all the wonderful things your body lets you do. Read it and add to it often. Example: I love my legs because they take me great places and I get to see so many wonderful places with them.

3. Make peace. Your body is a beautiful vessel that carries your soul.

4. When you obsess about your body image, ask yourself this question: "What is it that I really want in my life that I do not yet have?"

5. Visualize feeling amazing in your body and skin. Fully connect to it. This will instantly empower you to take better care of it.

6. Re-focus on something that you really love about your body (you will find it be willing to look with love).

7. Reflect on all the things you really want to accomplish in your life and business. Realize that if you shift your focus away from negative thoughts about your body, you'll move into beautiful thoughts of achieving your true dreams and desires. This shift will instantly make you feel better.

8. Make a list of the things you have put off due to body image issues, then go and take action on one item. Notice how fantastic this feels.

9. Write a Thank You letter to your body for all it's wonder and beauty.

10. Rest and nourish your body like royalty. Rest, replenish, stretch, massage, hydrate, and moisturize it.

11. Exercise because it connects you with your personal power and makes your body healthy, strong, and shapely.

12. Think back to a time in your life when you felt good about your body and connect to this feeling again. You will take inspired action from this feeling state.

13. Write a list of at least 10 positive things about yourself and add to this list daily.

14. When you find yourself being harsh on your body, get curious and find out what your really afraid of.

Doing even one of these action items will shift your energy, connect you with your beautiful body, and move you into a place that allows more abundance in your life.