In order to develop self-acceptance of your body, you must first realize where your dissatisfaction originates. Your dissatisfaction is not just in your head; it is the result of ubiquitous social messages that you have received since you were a child. We are not naturally self-conscious about our bodies. Very young children tend to be very unconcerned with their bodies' appearances, unless the media, adults, or other children draw their attention to it. But by age 5, society has taught us that our appearances reflect our value, and many children begin to show signs of body dissatisfaction. Where do these social message originate? Our capitalist system operates by convincing you that you have needs, and then filling those needs through consumer purchases. Think of all the products that are marketed to you on a daily basis in television, radio, internet, and print advertising: you stink! Buy this deodorant. Your jeans are out of style! Buy these new skinny jeans. Your teeth aren't straight! Spend several thousand dollars on orthodontics. The root message in nearly all consumer advertising is that you are not adequate on your own. A person who is perfectly happy with his or her body doesn't make a very good customer! In fact, every media message is selling you an image. Celebrities and models are glamorous, beautiful, and thin, and they appear to be that way naturally. In fact, their airbrushed appearances mask hours of labor to achieve that "perfect" body: it takes hours in the gym every day and a whole team of makeup artists to maintain their image of perfection. Unless you have a ton of wealth and unlimited free time, comparing yourself to these unrealistic standards of beauty will always leave you feeling dissatisfied with yourself. Celebrity culture plays a huge role in the maintenance of consumer culture. Think about how magazines and internet articles encourage you to "get the look" by purchasing particular make-up products or clothing or by altering your exercise routine. While its true that the media and broader social influences can impact your self-image, its also crucial that you surround yourself with positive people who don't contribute to your discomfort with your body. Consider the people in your life whose opinions matter most to you. Do these people constantly talk about their appearance, worry about their weight, or adjust their hair or makeup? Does being with them make you feel comfortable and confident, or inadequate in some way? What about your romantic partner, if you have one? Does he or she make critical remarks about your appearance, or does s/he build you up and compliment you? Critical comments from someone you care about can make it very difficult to build self-confidence, and can also be a warning sign of an emotionally abusive relationship. Consider eliminating toxic relationships from your life, or at least seek counseling to see if the relationship is worth salvaging. If you have close friends who you consider a positive influence, ask them to help you build confidence by not pointing out your flaws (or theirs) and by highlighting areas that they think are your best assets. Remember, your best assets are not always physical! Although society wants us to focus on our bodies as if they are the most important part of our selves, the truth of the matter is that eventually, all of our bodies will grow old and wither. For now, they serve a purpose of helping us to achieve our goals in life. What is it you want to accomplish in life? How will your body help you reach those goals?
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One-sentence summary -- Question society's obsession with appearances. Recognize that media messages are rooted in profit. Look closer to home. Realize that bodies serve a function.

If you run, the dog will instinctively try to catch you. It will see you as prey to chase down. Instead, you want to make yourself seem like you aren't a threat and aren't prey. Protect your torso and face by lifting your knee in front of your body. If the dog does bite or scratch, it won't be able to reach your stomach, neck, or face. Larger breeds instinctively go for your face, so block them with your arms. Crossing your arms will put up a stronger barrier than just flailing your arms in front of your face. Further protect your head by tucking it under your arms. Lean your head forward and fold your crossed arms backward so that your head is covered. Since dogs have prey instinct, curling into a ball can end the dog's urge to attack. While you may be afraid to lay on the ground, it's the safest option during a dog attack. Just play dead. Don't move or try to scoot away. Just curl as tightly into a ball as you can. Remove any items of clothing that may be around your neck since the dog may pull on it to play tug-of-war, which could strangle you. Fight back only if the dog is small. Fighting back can make the dog fight harder, especially if it's a larger breed that can overpower you. Don't try to engage the dog at all while you're on the ground. That means don't look at the dog, don't try to talk to it, and don't try to sooth it by petting it. The dog is in attack mode, and engaging with it will only antagonize it more. You can continue to shout commands if you've chosen to do so. The dog will only struggle to bite harder and hold on if you try to pull away. Additionally, you can rip the skin more and make your wound worse.
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One-sentence summary -- Avoid running away. Bring your knee up. Cross your arms in front of your face. Roll into a ball. Ignore the dog. Avoid pulling away if the dog bites you.

You dog acts in a specific way because of an expected reward - whether it be food, play, or attention. When a dog behaves badly, think about what it gets out of it in terms of a reward and then make sure the reward does not happen. Unfortunately, to the canine mind attention is a huge addictive reward which means shouting at your dog or telling him off is only rewarding the bad behavior. Any action can have three possible outcomes: a pleasant one, an uncertain one, or an unpleasant one. What matters is the dog's response to those outcomes. Each outcome evokes a different response. The pleasant outcome, means the behavior is likely to be repeated An indifferent outcome, means the dog may or may not repeat the behavior An unpleasant outcome means the dog is less likely to repeat the behavior. Now when you realize that shouting or chastisement is a reward, it puts a whole different complexion on reacting to bad behavior you are making the problem worse not better. Dogs live in the moment. If your dog chews up your favorite shoe and you don't punish him immediately, your dog won't learn his lesson. If your mother comes home later, discovers the destroyed shoe, and slaps the dog, he will link the punishment to the owner who came home and for no reason slapped him. Thus he becomes wary of the owner. The dog learns nothing about the inherent evils of shoe chewing. Punishment isn't clear for dogs oftentimes. If you catch the dog in the act of chewing a shoe, and tell him off immediately, once again he might simply link the punishment to the owner rather than to the inanimate object he's destroyed. Remember that your dog is a creature of habit. Determine if your dog is boredom or anxious. Boredom and a surplus of energy can turn a normally well-behaved dog into a delinquent. Make sure he has plenty of regular exercise and plenty of opportunity to express physical energy chasing and running. This leaves him happily content when he gets back home and less likely to get up to mischief. If your dog is destructive when you're out, consider that he might be anxious or bored in your absence. Try giving him a toy that will consume his attention for 20 to 30 minutes such as a Kong stuffed with dog food. In hot weather, stuff the Kong and pop it in the freezer overnight, so that he gets a cooling dog-food ice pop to keep his mind occupied whilst your out. The chances are if he gets over the initial half an hour without noticing you're gone then he's more likely to settle down for a nap afterwards.
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One-sentence summary --
Understand that your dog learns by trial and error. Understand that your dog makes direct connections. Think about your dog's routine.