How to Use a Mirror

how to use a mirror blog post art

I’m one of those oddball people who looks in the mirror and says compliments about myself, like, “Damn my chin looks sexy today!” Or “my eyes are so expressive and pretty.”

I posted about it on Twitter and one response was…

And it made me think, “…loving yourself seems almost counter cultural, doesn’t it?”

I’m talking about the obvious media connection to the critique of human bodies either, especially female bodies.

I’m talking about how we typically use mirrors.

Think about it! We look into a mirror to make sure everything in our appearance is good, and we fix the mistakes we see.

Our first function in using a mirror is to spot mistakes.

So when we look in a mirror, our first thought is NOT, “What looks good on me today?” It’s “What looks terrible right away and how can I fix it?”

We can’t help it. Humans are wired to think about the bad and the errors. We’re problem solvers by nature. And the only way to solve problems is to note the bad things that are present that need fixed.

It’s like starting your car. If it starts smoothly, you don’t think, “What went right?”

But if it can’t start, your brain automatically goes, “What if it’s the transmission? Is something stuck in a belt? Did a cat climb up into my car? Am I out of gas?”

Mirrors are tools. It just so happens we often approach that tool with the mindset of problem-solving our appearance.

So a lot of people, when they talk about boosting self-esteem, talk about “Love yourself! Look in the mirror and see the things you love about yourself!”

It’s a bigger mindsgift to do that than you think. It means approaching the tool, the mirror, in a completely different way than you’re used to.

So my challenge to you is this: start looking in the mirror at least once everyday.

But don’t look to correct yourself.

Look to admire something about yourself.

Challenge the way you use the mirror as a tool.

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