As a hairdresser, I have had many women sit in my chair and request a completely new style. I look at them, with their hair soaking wet and at its worst and see in my mind all sorts of options. But that’s my gift. They look in the mirror and see a mess and all too often, along with this desire to change comes a list of things they do not like about their beauty.
“I hate my …” “can you hide my …?”
Image Issues–we all have them. Yea, maybe “only our hairdresser knows for sure” but think about it, how many other people really see you at your worst? The rest of your world, with the exception of those you live with, see you after the bedhead has been dealt with and the makeup has been applied.
We are our own worst critics.
You and I look our true-self in the face every morning and yet too often, no matter how beautiful our hair and makeup came out, we walk away with the raw, morning image lingering in our self-confidence. No wonder so many of us shoot down a compliment! We don’t see what they see because our self-talk was so ugly during our entire morning makeover.
A bonus thought:
Hey, can we all just give a quick shout out to our husbands right now? Thank God for our man who sees the “morning-me” and still thinks we are cute! And to show our appreciation, let’s be sure that they get to see the “made-over-me” once in a while too.
Perhaps you already joined me last week on my kick to be healthy, happy and strong. This week let’s elaborate on changing our toxic self-talk.
An incomplete thought:
While I don’t claim to completely understand this by any means, I am fascinated by what little I have learned about neuroplasticity, the process by which new thought patterns are formed in the brain. Apparently the first thoughts we have in the morning have the greatest affect on our attitude for the rest of the day. This means that when we start our morning thinking badly about the girl in the mirror, we may feel badly about her all day long!
You know that feeling you get when you say something you shouldn’t have to someone you love and they walk out the door upset? You cracked a joke about their bedhead or criticize some little quirk they have and now you feel like a jerk. Well, when you criticize the girl in your mirror, you are doing the same thing to yourself. Don’t. There are enough mean and critical people in this world who will try to defeat your confidence. There is no need to join them.
If there are things you hate about what you see in your mirror, I encourage you to renew your mind. Take off the critic’s glasses and begin looking at yourself through eyes of love. Who really cares if your face has flaws, your hair’s a mop, your nose is the “wrong” shape? Let it go. Think on that which is excellent, pure and lovely.
You are a creation of God.
Let that profound wonder be enough to meditate on during your morning makeover.
As you make these thoughts your new habit, I believe that you, like me, will find the awe of science at work as your attitude toward yourself begins to grow in grace and your thoughts throughout the day begin to follow the pattern of your morning makeover meditation.
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Catrina Welch is an inspirational author and speaker whose passion is to empower women and girls to BE and LET BE. Her expertise as a cosmetologist, image consultant and Biblical life-coach, as well as her personal experiences with abandonment and grief make her message relatable to anyone dealing with rejection, betrayal or loss.
Her latest book, CONFIDENT BEAUTY: Reflecting the One Who Made You, with the Images in your Mirror and in your Soul, will soon be available as an audiobook. Autographed copies of all her books are available on her website at www.CatrinaWelch.com
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