I've been asked this more than once: "I want to love my body, but how do I do it? How do I get where you are?"

It seems like an insurmountable task to many of us. And it doesn't help that when I'm asked this question, I make sure to qualify my answer by saying that I've been working on it for nearly 20 years, and it's something I still cultivate daily. There's no magic pill or quick fix when it comes to digging yourself out from under a lifetime of emotional abuse and negative conditioning around your body.

Body love is a skill. And, as you would with learning any skill, it helps to start small.

So, if you're willing to try one small thing, try this.

Choose a part of your body. Literally any part will do, from your eyelids to your toe bones to your pancreas. If you're feeling daring and strong, choose a part of you that you particularly dislike or find upsetting.

Now, think of something which that part of your body does well, and thank that part for what it does for you.

For me, today, I choose my fingers. I'm sometimes insecure about my wide, stubby fingers. They're generally clumsy. I have hair on my knuckles. But my fingers are really good at typing. They're so good at typing that I've been able to use my typing skill in service to people with disabilities. My typing skills kept me employed through the great recession. And now, they make my job as a busy software engineer that much easier. Thank you, fingers! I appreciate you.

You could celebrate the teeth that make up your smile. The arms that are strong enough to lift your children. The legs that pedal your bike along your favorite trail. It doesn't have to be about appearance at all if you don't want it to be. And it doesn't have to be a grand confession of love, either. Just thanks and appreciation.

Your body is your partner in your life on Earth. Loving our bodies is about more than just being okay with how we look. It's about acknowledging the relationship we have with them.