the ideal of what it should be

No matter what your age, you can think of your body as the sculptor thinks of his clay, marble, or bronze. You can mold it into something more nearly resembling the ideal of what it should be.

Agniel, Marguerite. 1936. Creating Body Beautiful, a Woman's Guide to Charm, Poise, and Personality. New York. Bernard Ackerman. p. 227