I love the musical The Sound of Music and especially the song “My Favorite Things” and the lyric “raindrops on roses” since my husband planted a rose garden for me on Valentine’s Day and it is one of my favorite gifts. I love picking roses and putting them in rose bowls and vases all over our home and the smell is intoxicating. In my new book entitled: Body Esteem: Piece of Cake and Peace of Mind I challenge the reader to get in touch with their emotional and physical needs so they can boost their body esteem.  As a psychotherapist specializing in body image issues, I have discovered that as you improve your psychological health your body esteem will soar. It seems when one has healthy body image it correlates with identifying their favorite things or preferences in general. There is a strong correlation between self-esteem and body esteem which leads to becoming more decisive with your decision making process.

The more psychologically introspective we become the more likely we are to understand our emotions, cognitions, and behaviors, which are all intertwined like a big bowl of spaghetti which results in being more assertive. In lieu of harboring resentment or suppressing your emotions which may lead to emotional eating, find your voice. You will no longer acquiesce to others, but build self-efficacy and self-confidence. I encourage you to cast your vote because your input matters and is meaningful!

Let’s play a game using the four quotients I designed that foster your body esteem quotient (BEQ): Psychological Quotient (PQ); Nutrition Quotient (NQ); Exercise Quotient (EQ); and Fashion Quotient (FQ). Humor me and I invite you to play along!

Psychological Quotient (PQ):

What is your favorite lifetime experience?

Mine was meeting my British husband at Cooper Aerobics Center after Dr. Cooper suggested we collaborate on a project. The love bug bit and it went from a business relationship to monkey business! We became engaged at The Raffles Hotel in the Long Bar in Singapore. My husband says he drank too many Singapore Slings (their famous cocktail), but he actually proposed before the cocktails arrived and we rode back to our hotel room on a rickshaw in the pouring rain and it was the best ride of my life! Your turn….

Nutrition Quotient (NQ):

What is your favorite type of cuisine and why?

I love Southwestern food since it is spicy and delectable and it reminds me of my trips to Santa Fe and Scottsdale, Arizona where I visit my adorable niece and her lovely wife. I also adore Italian and Thai food and I like to satisfy my cravings for these types of cuisine! What is your fav and why?

Exercise Quotient (EQ):

What is your favorite type of exercise and why?

I convinced my husband to take ballroom dance lessons and initially our dance teachers told us to wear slippers because we kept stepping on each other’s toes, but we eventually advanced to dance shoes. The gentlemen has the responsibility of recalling the dance steps to lead and the lady follows. It builds trust and enhances our intimacy because it is romantic (especially the tango that we mastered and learned for our trip to South America for our 20th wedding anniversary). Now take a shot at this one?

Fashion Quotient (FQ):

What is your favorite designer or type of clothing?

I adore Ralph Lauren because it is timeless and classic and I like to mix and match with Equestrian scarves and tri-color jewelry. Although it is somewhat expensive I wait for sales and I find I purchase less merchandise since it is an investment in my wardrobe which makes it more economical. I adore jeans and English riding boots with an English riding jacket for casual wear, but gravitate to jumpsuits and sheath dresses with stilettoes to make my own fashion statement. I do love to hang out in my sweats and pjs at home! When it comes to style what do you prefer?

I challenge you to keep asking yourself your preferences on all types of issues whether it be politics, philosophy, or what do you fancy for dinner? Learning to take your emotional temperature (i.e., Why am I feeling angry or hurt?) or identifying your thought processes (i.e., Can I restructure my cognitions like no longer emulating others sense of style or body trends). In essence, learning to become psychologically introspective leads to better body esteem.