Hello Beauties,
Geez it’s been a while since my last post. Nearly a month! Sorry. I just haven’t felt the inspiration to write this post and I don’t want this blog to ever feel like a chore. It just wouldn’t be authentic.
So, I finally did the Seven Day Mirror Challenge!
As you may know, I kind of failed the last time I tried. I felt so bad about my appearance that I literally didn’t want to look in the mirror, much less look in it and say nice things about myself. But I followed through with my promise and you know what? I was right. A huge shift happened.
The hard part the first few days was being genuine. I’d look into the mirror and say “Sierra, you are beautiful” but my ego would shout back at me “Liar!” I kind of felt bipolar in the beginning of the challenge, so I decided I wouldn’t say things if I didn’t really mean them. So those first few days I said things like “I am really smart,” or “I’m a very loyal friend,” or “I can cook up a delicious stack of pancakes.” I believed these compliments wholeheartedly and was happy to look myself in the eyes and point them out.
After a few days, I started to get more comfortable with the exercise and found myself saying things like “I have really pretty hands” or “I love the color of my eyes.” I started playing around with the idea that maybe I have physical traits that are…gulp…actually BEAUTIFUL!
By the end of the week I started to look forward to my daily mirror ritual. Finding new qualities about myself that I could actually be proud of was really eye opening. I have spent so much time focusing on all the imperfections that I wasn’t seeing the beauty. It was like tunnel vision. The last day I found myself listing even more than 5 positive traits – and they were both physical and non physical compliments. I have great cheekbones and a warm smile. I’m very creative and I love making people feel good about themselves. And yes, I do make a mean pancake breakfast 🙂
When it was all done, I could actually look into the mirror, red dry pimple-filled skin and all, and genuinely say “I am beautiful, inside and out.” Such a huge shift in thinking…I still look into the mirror on occasion and repeat that affirmation. The trick is to really mean it!
There’s one more thing I wanted to share…and this is the best part! As the week progressed I noticed a dramatic change in my skin. I went from having three new cystic pimples a day, to literally NO NEW ACNE! I remembered a documentary I watched recently called “What The Bleep Do We Know” (which you can watch for free HERE). It’s all about how our mind creates our own reality. Not just how we feel about ourselves, but actual physical changes that occur solely from a change in thinking.
Full disclosure: I have been on spironolactone, birth control and medical grade topicals for several months and it’s certainly possible that the change in my skin was simply the medications finally starting to work on my acne. But, I like to think there’s more to it. I finally saw my own beauty even through my pimples. I think that may have been the lesson the universe was trying to give me. It’s like a twisted version of Beauty and the Beast. I had to first find the inner beauty to achieve the outer beauty. Cheesy? Maybe. But it’s the honest to goodness truth.
It’s been a few weeks since the challenge and I really haven’t looked back. My skin continues to improve in strides, but more importantly, I like myself again. I haven’t felt that way in ages. I’m so happy I completed the Seven Day Mirror Challenge and I really hope you try it too.
xo
Sierra
Daily Affirmation: I am beautiful, inside and out.
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