But before I allow myself to go down that slippery and dangerous slope of body loathing, I decide to do something quite out of the ordinary. I decide to smile and laugh at this ridiculous situation. I know there is no such thing as a perfect body or a perfect swimsuit. The laughing allows me to breathe, and the breath is a welcome distraction from my destructive thoughts.

Since my life's work is focused on helping women create inner style through taking action in life, I decide that these lessons can also apply to swimsuit shopping. So, I make an action plan.

#1: Get a reality check! You know what your body really looks like. Be honest with yourself before you shop. You haven't grown 10 inches or morphed into Gisele. So take it easy on yourself and get real about what you have to work with.

#2: Get some self-tanner and use it! Do a little tanning before you try on a swimsuit. It will help deflect some of that ungodly fluorescent lighting. And it is a proven fact: We feel better when we're tan.