Mirror, Mirror…
Photos on this page: @rebel1.be1
As women, what do we really see when we look in the mirror? Let’s be honest; we seldom see beyond the image. On most days it’s a quick glance as we pass, a rushed makeup in the morning or an absent stare as we mechanically brush our teeth and hair while running through our chore list. Seldom do we stop to actually appreciate what is in front of us. The mirror is an object of reflection, and on occasion we may actually like what we see , but do we ever really stop to think about the person who is looking back? Too often we do not look and see ourselves as others do. Why is that? Self introspection is not new to us, we analyze and criticize ourselves but we also have difficulty appreciating who we actually are. It seems too easy to see our flaws, pick apart what we perceive as negatives about ourselves when we could instead be in gratitude for our bodies, mind and spirit.
What if we took 2 minutes out of the day to say Thank You?
Two minutes is a baby step. It’s a manageable timeframe and if we are truthful, even two minutes of self affirmation may be hard for most of us. Think about what you might say to a girlfriend and try saying those things to yourself. “You did that so well, you are kind, I couldn’t have done that without you, I appreciate you”. It isn’t an exercise in ego, it truly is a way to drown out the negative narration we constantly play in our heads throughout the majority of the day. You know that voice. That voice that comes first, the one you have to consciously push away. The voice of insecurity, fear, self depreciation. Where it stems from, comes from many different sources, and that is probably a conversation for a different day. We all struggle with it to some degree, it has roots that run deep but we can begin to change it. We can make an effort every day to take two minutes, a fraction of our day to be nice to ourselves. It may be a surprise what you actually learn about you when you make the effort to see past the reflection. Mirror Mirror on the wall, let her see the good in herself once and for all!
Content Contributors: Amber Cochran Gilbert, Lyn Sengupta
