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Don’t Believe the Mirror!
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You’re getting ready to go out, and step in front of the mirror. Sadly, that’s when the dissection begins. You immediately focus on:
• The extra two pounds.
• The uneven skin tone.
• How your outfit doesn’t look as good as it did on the mannequin.
• How your feet look too big!
• The pimple on your chin; and one long hair! Where did that come from?
• Your pooch (and I don’t mean your dog!).
• Your crow’s feet.
I’m probably missing some stuff, but you get the gist of where I’m going with this. You’re worried about how others are going to see you. The unbelievable part is that no one else is going to notice any of the things you just saw in the mirror. It’s only your traitorous eyes that do.
Why do you do this to yourself? Why do you focus on the petty little things that have nothing to do with who you really are? There is so much more to You!
Next time you stand in front of the mirror, focus instead on:
• The nice day/evening you’re going to have.
• The friends you’re going to see.
• The smile that brightens up your face (I know it’s there!)
• The food you’re going to eat; the movie, or play you’re going to enjoy.
• The conversations you’re going to have.
There is so much more out there for you to revel in. Picking at yourself is a waste of your energy. You are not a reflection in the mirror. You’re in 3D—alive; walking and breathing. Focus on what’s true, not some imagined reflection that ruins your whole day or night.
Next time you’re going to step in front of the mirror, remember the mirror doesn’t lie, your eyes do!
Evangel
Great advice, so true. And yet, oddly, we are so grateful for those lying mirrors!
Sanatana
But sometimes they lie not to protect us, but to criticize us!
Evangel
But does anyone head off to work or leave for a date without first checking in with their mirror?
Well Street
Maybe this is yet another scenario that boils down to choice. Will I gaze at my reflection and choose to look for what's "wrong" with traitorous eyes, or will I choose to use the lens of kindness and positivity?
I don't know. Is my take too simplistic or Pollyanna?
Evangel
Maybe it's neither. Women, however, must use the mirror to apply makeup, which is expected once you pass a certain age. Lucky for you, there is no such requirement for men.
Sanatana
Our tendency is to be critical. It has to be a conscious choice to see ourselves from a positive perspective; see life from a positive perspective.
Slipstream
Thanks for giving a list of alternative discussion subjects. So much better than the original self-reflection discussion, and the outing will be much more fun.
Sanatana
You're very welcome! Always here to share a new perspective!