Mirror Work – Why?

We live in an ageist, patriarchal society, where women’s beauty, drive, sex appeal, contribution, etc., etc.. all have a very short, and very false, expiration date. The media, fashion, cosmetics, etc.. industries are all geared towards programming this message into us everywhere. In order to counteract this programming (and more), we need to take responsibility for emotionally endorsing ourselves often.

The process……

  • Go to a mirror and look into your eyes (our eyes are our window into our souls, right?)
  • It can be done anytime of day, but I recommend it in the evening, so that you can review the successes you’ve had throughout the day including, for example:
  • Healthy food choices, or, ate that delicious cookie and didn’t beat yourself up for it: instead, you savored every bite
  • Completed a form of exercise (moved your body in some way)
  • Pages read
  • Dad a great conversation/called a friend/reached out to someone
  • Tasks completed for either personal or professional
  • Prepared & enjoyed a wonderful meal
  • Practiced gratitude (did you thank someone today?),
  • Temptations resisted (didn’t eat the cookie, didn’t react with an attitude towards your partner, friend, or child)

You get the idea….

Begin by saying to yourself, out loud the following:

“I love and accept myself exactly how I am”, in order to minimize our tendency to quickly go to negative thoughts….our default setting.

Then begin endorsing yourself for all the choices, decisions, ect. that went right for you today. We are training our minds to acknowledge our successes, both large and small and everything in between.

It is important to say them out loud to ourselves, so that we hear all that we accomplished this particular day.

Maybe it was a day for rest, a day off, for example, or a snow day, and in that case, acknowledge how well you practiced whatever self-care you practiced today, (took a long nap, a bath, read a good novel, sipped tea slowly, ect)

And finally, end the mirror conversation with yourself, by saying “your name, I Love You”….hold your gaze for as long as you can and thank yourself for the emotional endorsement.

Again, it may feel uncomfortable, silly, weird, and that is OK, that is to be expected…. …….Oh, what the heck, do it anyway!

Are you in?

Reach out if you have any questions and let’s share our experiences with this beautiful mirror work in the comments.

Disclosure: Mirror work introduced to me by Loiuse Hay & Jack Canfield