How many times a day do we see ourselves in the mirror? I think more often than we realise. When washing hands, brushing teeth, combing hair, getting dressed, just walking past. You don't have to consciously stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself at length to still be confronted with yourself. But when you do start looking consciously, what do you see?
The mirror is not everyone's best friend, especially when you see what you don't want to see.
I have to admit that there was a period in my life when I was very saddened by my own reflection. It was in the middle of my teenage years, when, due to illness, I could not pursue the ballet career I had envisioned. From one moment to the next, I was forced to stop dancing and was bedridden for two months. This led to me practically losing all my accumulated muscle mass and increasing my fat mass (because the more muscle mass you have, the more energy your body consumes and therefore the more fat your body burns). My shape had become so bad after 3 months that I could only go outside for 10 minutes each day for a walk, holding on to my mother's arm. Altogether, it took a year before I could do those things again, which are common for a teenager at that age.
That had a huge impact on how I saw myself afterwards. Disappointed in my body and the additional kilos, it seemed like someone else was looking back at me in the mirror. I couldn't cope with it very well. This contributed to my changing relationship with food as well. My goal was obviously to get fit and strong again as soon as possible, but no matter how much I adjusted my diet, nothing really changed. I only got heavier. Out of frustration, I would then eat my sadness away with chips and biscuits. I was in a negative downward spiral.
It really took years before I found a healthy balance again and stopped using food as a comfort or reward. Despite the fact that by then I no longer carried the extra weight with me and my body had become stronger and fitter, I kept seeing a distorted image of myself when I looked in the mirror. I only saw fat and whatever I didn't like about my body. The eating disorder had therefore still left emotional and mental scars, which I worked hard to get over.
What do you see when you look in the mirror? I will answer that question completely differently today. Now I know that I get/see what I focus my attention on. I choose to see the good. By now I am past 50 and I can tell you, it doesn't exactly make you look more youthful. Yet in the mirror I see someone who can be proud of who she is. She has been through a lot, her body has given birth to beautiful children, she takes good care of herself by exercising daily, moving but also relaxing, she has adapted her diet in such a way that she has much more energy - and far fewer physical complaints - than before, her body is simply there for her every day and that is not at all a given for many, she has earned every wrinkle and grey hair and she can be proud of that. That's what I see.
I choose to thank myself and my body for every day. I am good as I am, I am a beautiful person inside and out, I care about myself as much as I care about others, because I am worth it. I am strong, I am fit, I accept that I am not perfect, just as I accept that of others, because perfection does not exist. The more I invest in myself as a human being, the more beautiful I become. I radiate that and I subsequently receive that back.
When I look in the mirror, I see the person I want to see. And she is good enough!
Do you want to feel good about who you see in the mirror? Do you want guidance with improving your lifestyle and mindset? Then follow the link below:
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