The Mirror

The Mirror.
We use it to inspect things we cannot see ourselves.
What do you see when you look? I mean really look. This isn’t one of those “Do you like what you see?” kinds of things… but what do you really see? Can you look beyond the posture, definition and stature of a body and the splendor, softness and charm of a face? You look with your eyes but do you see? I just spent a fair amount of time looking, seeking, and searching in the mirror. Who is that? I stand there with my hair in a pony tail, white tank top and jeans. I see that. My face turns to an expression of confusion and my eyes mimic the expression of my face. I see that. But, who is she? This girl that stands before me: Where did she come from? How did she get here? I begin to think back to the defining moments of my life that play a part in who I am. The picture gets a bit clearer, but the mirror is still foggy.
Why hasn’t someone invented an internal mirror to look within?
If only it were that easy. A simple glance in the mirror would reveal the hidden pieces of our hearts, the secret imperfections within. But mirrors don’t work like that. They reveal the superficial flaws of life; the spinach in our teeth, the speck on our face, the kink in our hair. We are on our own to figure out the flaws within. I’ve stumbled upon a few: my indecisiveness, my inability to always act on what’s right, the way I don’t push myself to my full ability. Sometimes our flaws are pointed out by others, sometimes they are revealed through hours of solitude and introspect, sometimes through our trials and failures.
Whichever way they are revealed, they display character. And whatever way we choose to deal with them is the ultimate depiction of that character.
So mirrors can’t always reveal our weaknesses but can they illustrate our strengths? I believe so. The mirror can show me confidence, it can show me substance, and it can show me strength.
So why should a mirror reveal the positives without the negatives? Humans, the social beings that we are, sometimes refuse to portray the negatives, the flaws, the imperfections.
We only want to display the positives therefore we expose them on the outside, confining the flaws within in hopes of being liked or accepted.
Here is a test of character: let your flaws out… lay them out before you and look at the beauty in each one; how each contributes to the uniqueness of you. Do this to let people see them in plain sight but most importantly so you can really see them.
Then, the mirror should reveal all, the picture should be clear, the fog will be removed The mirror should then portray a perfect depiction of you: not only the superficial pros and cons of appearance, but the strengths and weaknesses that make you who you are.