Looking from the Inside of Your Eyeballs

Did you ever wonder what other people see when they look at you?  The only way you’ve ever seen yourself is in the two-dimensions of a mirror.  Yet everyone around you sees you in three dimensions.  How much difference does that make?  Perhaps a lot when you consider that a two-dimensional mirror flattens parts of you that curve away—such as your hips—into a flat image.  You see yourself as thicker than other people see you.

Anyone who’s ever spent time in a fitting room, gazing into a mirror to try to gauge whether a particular outfit is flattering, knows that lighting is everything.  Poor lighting can turn even lovely skin shadowy and sallow.  Some buy expensive mirrors that are equipped with incandescent or full-spectrum light for home use to try to compensate.  Romantic dinners are illumined with candlelight.

When you look into a mirror, not only are you seeing only what a mirror is capable of reflecting, but you’re also seeing what you expect to see.  In other words, if you’re feeling bad about yourself, you may see a person you don’t admire.  If you’ve been stuffed with negative concepts such as “women get ugly as they age,” or “only skinny is attractive,” or “you’ll never be as good-looking as your brother,” you may never like what you see.  Your mind manipulates what your eyes are witnessing.

This week I had the pleasant surprise of discovering that certain people I encountered had commented among themselves about how attractive I am.  Me?  What?  At my age?  I looked in the mirror and didn’t see what they were seeing at all.  The fact is, I have no real clue what other people see as me and probably never have.

What is the moral of this story?  Just believe you’re attractive and send positive vibes.  Remember to remind other people how attractive they are when it occurs to you, because those people may be wondering if they look like toads.  And when you feel like you’re having a bad hair day all over your body, just laugh.  You’re looking from the inside out, and the view is skewed.  Ask someone who loves you and sees not only your physical self but also your emotional/spiritual self:  you look better than you think.