… but wait! Stop!
Not like that.
A month or so ago, as I finished brushing my teeth, I stopped, as one does, to gaze at myself in the bathroom mirror. Nose scrunched and brow furrowed, I shook my head. And as I turned away, I thought,
Wait.
When was the last time you looked in a mirror and DIDN’T look for a flaw?
And then I thought,
Have you ever?
Were you ever able to gaze at your reflection without judgement? Maybe at some point in childhood? What, after all, is the purpose of a mirror, if not to find and correct what’s wrong? Can a mirror have another purpose?
So, task yourself:
Look in the mirror, and —
jauntily,
or earnestly,
or saucily,
or boldly,
or confidently,
or sweetly,
but honestly
compliment yourself.
Start small. A tiny round mirror. Look only at one eye. A cheekbone. A wrist. A shoulder. Take it slow.
Bonus points for a full-length mirror.
Extra bonus points if you can stand stark naked and stare into that beautiful abyss.
Gods. Look at you. You’re fucking amazing.
looking for roots 