Yes. I get it. And I agree with you re baggage.

As for being outwardly attractive perhaps I should have said "feeling and looking the best that one can." I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, therefore, is very subjective. I guess what I was trying to get at is that for me, I wanted to be the best me that I can be--as in not settling for something less than what I knew was possible. I didn't/don't want to sell myself short. For me, that goes for everything in my life. I am not a perfectionist by any stretch of the imagination but I always try to do and give my best whether it's in my service to other people, at church, at home with my kids, being a wife, at work (when I used to teach all those years ago), etc. When I feel good about myself--what I have achieved in my life, what I have contributed to others, how I look--there is a confidence and energy that is exuded that is attractive to others and that is what I meant

I also know that my best may be much better than someone else's best but at the same time it may not be as good as someone else's best. But that is life. The point is to always be and do the best I can with what I have and not worry about comparing myself with everyone else. We shouldn't be selling ourselves short.