By Dr. Deb Wade
GCU Vice President, Counseling and Psychological Services
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
The wicked witch in “Snow White” was so obsessed with her own looks that she constantly sought the answer from the mirror stating that SHE was the fairest and most beautiful woman of them all.
When you look in the mirror, what do YOU see? Beauty … or … flaws? Do you realize that your interpretation of what you see is only as clear as your filter? Additionally, what you say to yourself about what you see is your truth about yourself!
Yep, that’s right … the mirror can be downright brutal at times. It can reveal every bump, lump, blemish, extra pound and wart. One can look in the mirror and admiringly say, “Oh yeah!” or look in the mirror and alarmingly say, “Yikes!”
Often, it seems that the mirror is there merely to torture as it reveals the ravages of time -- from wrinkles, to saggy skin, to blotchy brown spots, and to hair poking out of places it’s not supposed to. Many dollars are spent to suck up, tighten up, plump up and pare down. It can become a never-ending cycle of trying to outrun the calendar and fool Mother Nature. WHY?
We’ve all heard the adage “Beauty is only skin deep,” yet we continue to try every way imaginable to enhance that surface beauty. Sometimes we are successful; most times we are not. WHY?
Because what we say to ourselves when we look at our own image is the monumental moment of truth! Self-esteem, self-belief, self-love and self-confidence all come from the inside out.
Yes … feeling beautiful/handsome/worthy/valuable is an inside job! Nothing we can put ON can ever outlast or out-magnify what we already have INSIDE. Let’s peek at two important facts:
- You are made in the image of God, Himself! (Genesis 1:27)
- You were woven in your mother’s womb by the Master Seamster! (Psalm 139:13)
If we can agree that God does not make junk, then that alone makes each of us pretty special. If we are made in His image, that beauty is unparalleled. So we must be willing to soak in these facts, then begin our inner daily dialogue to be sweeter, kinder and more cognizant than ever before that we are, in fact, the fairest of them all!
Let’s practice:
- Stop all criticism! Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are and find acceptance in the beauty you see in the mirror.
- Take care of your body! Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need to have optimum energy and vitality? Exercise! Cherish the temple you live in.
- Praise yourself! Give yourself due credit when you accomplish something or when you tackle a big obstacle. Be your own best cheerleader … when you succeed, celebrate!
- Be gentle! Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. We speak harshly to ourselves; we notice flaws and shortcomings but neglect the positives and the hallelujahs. Change the script … notice what is right and positive about YOU and feel good in your own skin!
- Let go! Isn’t it time to release old inner “recordings” from the past? If you were denigrated or devalued or harmed by others’ words and actions, delete and discard! Instead, create new messages about yourself that are positive and able and capable and worthy!
- Disallow naysayers and negative nellies to infiltrate your mind! It’s time to kick those old negative influences to the curb … instead, surround yourself with positive, caring and uplifting friends. Then treasure the positive atmosphere that you have created.
See … the mirror is only potent when we assign value to what we see! So forget the liposuction, augmentation and veneers!! Instead, look at the mirror and say, “Thank you … indeed, I am the fairest of them all!”
