Perception vs. Reality

Mirrors are interesting to me.  Necessary? Potentially.  Truthful? Not always (hello funhouse.) Consistent: No Way.  Sure, mirrors don’t exactly talk to us, but they sure do communicate a ton.  Their messages are different too.  Some days they tell us that we look cute or together or skinny even.  Other days the message we hear is demeaning, hurtful, and discouraging.

The mirror is always ready for us to take our place in front of it but, depending on the stability of our heart in that moment is what will determine the weight of the message we receive from our reflection. 

We have fat jeans and skinny jeans, the go-to shirt that makes our stomachs flat and our arms toned.  We have dresses that show off our legs and pants that hide them.  We don’t really need the mirror to tell us what we already think we know.  And here in lies the problem; we already know what the mirror is going to tell us before we get there.  Not because we have hypersensitive vision but because we have super sensitive hearts. We want to be beautiful and maybe more than anything feel that way too and we want our reflection to validate what we see…or at least what we perceive we see.  My friends, that perception is not always a reality.

You don’t need me to tell you that we are our own worst critics and we are far harsher on ourselves that anyone (or thing) would ever be to our face.  When we feel we look skinny or beautiful or pretty then we assume we must look that way as well.  This just isn’t the case.  I believe that it is our hearts that tell us how we look in those mirrors, not our reflection.  If our heart is in a good place: confident and secure then we will most likely see that reflected back to us.  The reverse is also true as well.  If we come to the mirror with insecurity or focused on our shortcomings then we will only see those things instead of the beauty that lies within.

As you catch your reflection in the mirror today task yourself where your heart is before you analyze your physical appearance.  Understand what you are bringing to the mirror-emotionally before you receive feedback physically.  Maybe you could even try to find something good about yourself that isn’t physical?  Can you notice your thoughtful spirit that did something kind for a friend or maybe your patient attitude that played the same board game 15 times in one day?

The next time you look in the mirror, trying shedding the emotional weight you carry with you, you might be surprised what it does for you physically.