Crossroads- love myself now or work for better?

I'm a big fan of the Dove Real Beauty Campaign.  I've seen several of their videos and am moved by each one.  The one I saw this week circulating facebook struck me extra hard. I admit to shedding a few tears by the end, as did most other women who watched, I presume.  Watch it if you haven't yet, it is worth your time.  

I'm left wiping away my tears and asking several questions.  Why is it that we're so hard on ourselves as women?  Why do we compare ourselves to others; to what we think we should look like?  Why is it so easy to find other women beautiful and to be our own hardest critic? 

The questions continue- Why am I hard on myself when I just had a baby two months ago?  Maybe because I am carrying around an extra 25 pounds?  I'm struggling with deciding to be OK with myself and my body; and working to change what I don't like.  How can I love myself now, while trying to be more healthy and not settle for a body I don't love?  I'm just struggling with knowing whether I need to be confident as the woman I am today or wait to lose the baby weight.  You see, the hard thing is that I know what the easy answer is.  Of course I need to be confident today.  I need to learn to love who I am now.  The mother of two.  The woman who has spent 17 of the past 34 months pregnant.  The woman who has been breastfeeding since January 2011.  

I know that's what I need to do, but WHY IS IT SO HARD?  I know my children think I'm beautiful.  I know my husband thinks I'm beautiful.  And I've had two different women tell me within the past couple weeks that I'm one of the most beautiful people they've ever met.  Seriously?  That hits me hard...

I'm asking a lot of questions here.  I am just at a crossroads, like I said.  Where are you in this journey?  Do you have advice to offer?  Can you relate?  

Lets get one thing straight----

"YOU ARE MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOU THINK!"

xoxo,

Riss