Imagine for a moment, 100 puppies in an empty room. Take a moment to smell the room, hear the sounds, see all the puppies, each different from the other. You look out and see the rowdy one, the whiny one, the stinky one, the sleepy one, the tiny one, the fat one, the hairless one, the fuzzy one, the white one, black one, brown one, silver one, the curly one, the long haired one, the long one, the huge one, the playful one, the quiet one, ............
Is not every one of them just perfect, adorable and lovable?
Is not every human being just as perfect, adorable and lovable? At the very moment we look into the mirror in the morning, that voice in our head begins to measure us up. It measures against our perception of those in our realm; it compares us physically once we step before the mirror.
I ask you to STOP. Go now to a mirror, now, and take a good look. Close your eyes and imagine if necessary. See your hair, eyes, nose, lips, shoulder, what you’re wearing, and your expression. The brains already, by this point, critically analyzing, measuring, comparing and is discontent with what it sees.
The brain is so efficient at analyzing, measuring, comparing, to experiences and knowledge we have stored away, that it allows us to do amazing things when applied to projects needing that ability. This is not one of those times. Tell yourself - That is not me disapproving in the mirror, it’s an organ designed to measure. Using it on yourself is destructive to your self image and self worth.
Imagine the 100 puppies again. Which one are you, the absolutely just perfect one? The act or practice of giving up the damaging self measurement process is the first step to accepting ourselves as perfect and capable human beings and it opens us up to love ourselves wholesomely, creating respect for ourselves.