MORE Diet Advice (That's Not What You Needed? You Don't Say!)

The sheer volume of conflicting advice for women is maddening.

First, a low-fat diet holds the keys to the kingdom of thinness and, therefore happiness. Then, low-carb. Oh, but don't forget to sprint! Actually, you should aim for as much low-intensity walking as possible. But mix it in with a healthy dose of strength training, and don't stretch too much! But also, do yoga. And there's no way you can do it right for any less than $599.99.

AND DON'T FORGET TO RIP YOUR HAIR OUT WHILE YOU'RE AT IT. That burns calories.

We live in a world that promises "one weird trick" will unlock all of our dreams.

We shove deserts' worth of sand through the sifters given to us, hoping for gold but coming up with shells, piecing together our findings and praying we can cobble together a sense of fullness.

Throwing up our hands in frustration, we settle for lives half-lived: we wait to spend a carefree summer at the beach until we're smaller, avoid the fun of racing to eat a dripping ice cream cone until we've "earned" it, to let our hair down and our ideas out and our joy spread until we're enough.

Close your eyes and breathe in the truth: magic is waiting for you, just as you are.

You can abandon the standards and the goals and the tools you've been given.

You can discover your strength and your power and set your own expectations.

You can pare it all down to its simplest forms. You are under no obligation to take anyone else's advice; you can choose for yourself.

You are, and always have been, yours.