Mirror mirror on the wall who is it that stares back at us all.
Is it smoke and mirrors or our true reflections? Do we pause long enough to notice who’s truly looking back at us? Or are we moving through life on the surface, glancing in the mirror just long enough to check if our hair, makeup, and clothes meet our standards?
I understand that mirrors can be terrifying for some people, where our identities and egos stare right back at us. It is also the place where even if we are trying to see ourselves, our mind can play tricks on what we are truly seeing. It is why when we look at ourselves in the mirror, it is important to see past the imperfectives so that we may truly look at ourselves.
Our reflection is often hard to see, as their lives the little girl with pigtails from years past who loved to play dress up. Our inner self is quite simply not our self from today, it is our many selves. We are reflected in the mirror. For me, I see, the daughter, the young adult, the blushing bride, the new mom, the divorced woman, and the entrepreneur. I believe that is why it is so daunting to “really” look at ourselves. But if we learn from all chapters in our lives, we can look deeper and honor it as they are the steppingstones for growing into the person we are today.
Often looking in the mirror we may have one of two experiences; the quick surface look where we are not really looking but inspecting, holding avoidance. The other experience is being our biggest critic picking apart every detail of our existence where we have allowed our internal voice to be negative over time.
The mind is more powerful than we could ever imagine, and the mirror does not lie, it is our brains that contort and see what our minds want to see. Finding self-love in our reflection can be a challenge, but like most challenges this is where the growth lives.
Here are a few exercises to do with your reflection:
Take 3- 5 Minutes Looking:
Spend some time in front of a mirror, really looking. Not judging, just looking into your eyes to find the versions of you within. When you see her, breathe in deeply acknowledging all the versions you feel you have been. Take a moment to reflect and love all those versions because those are what got you to where you stand today. This practice allows you to learn to love yourself so that you can work on what you want to change. When we hold anger, hate within it holds you back – letting go is key.
Write Words Of Affirmations:
Write “positive” affirmations so that you see yourself surrounded by them. Make sure to pause daily to read them so they don’t just become background but in the forefront of your reality.
It is in front of the mirror that I will encourage you to say “ I love you” The mirror is where I personally allow tears to flow when I feel defeated and wonder if I am on track. It is the mirror that allows me to be in my rawest form.
It is there where, with great practice you can appreciate the incredible human being that you are, showing up every day reclaiming your truth, and where you can rid yourself of the deception that once may have creeped into your reflection.
