"Mirror Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"
It is effortless to recognize this line from the famous Disney classic "Snow White." Most people have seen this movie during their youth. Whether it be because you desired to be a Disney princess when you grew up, or that your bratty little sister controlled the television set, you have watched it. Like most Disney movies, in life too we love the Prince/ Princesses, despise the villains, and anticipate the Happily Ever After.
When I watch something created for such simplicity, I can't help but wonder if there was something much more dynamic at play. Most of us would compare ourselves to the main characters that we love. They are outgoing, handsome/beautiful, brave, lovable, adventurous, and so on, but are we comparing ourselves to the true reflection of who we really are?
I cannot think of a single person who would want to be compared to that awful witch, but who have we really become? In the movie, the witch seeks adoration and acceptance from a face in the mirror (which she refers to as "slave"). Every single day, she asks that question. She relies on the opinion of a magic mirror to tell her who she has become. Sadly, we take away the magic, and here we are. Have we relied on the mirror to tell us who we really are? We treat this mirror as an outward expression of our inner beauty. We allow it to dictate the way we dress, act, think, eat. Have we become the slave trapped inside of our own mirror?
Maybe your mirror is not a physical mirror. Your mirror could be a person. It could be someone who feels the need to call out your insecurities and belittle you. Your mirror could be social media. You compare yourself to the people you see on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You tell yourself that you aren't good enough, pretty enough, or popular enough. Instead of
"Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Fairest of Them All?"
it has become
"Mirror Mirror on Facebook, Show Me How My Life Should Look."
and
"Mirror Mirror on Instagram, Tell Me Who I Really Am."
The truth of the matter is, you are more than what the mirror says, what others say, and what social media says. True beauty comes from the inside, and no mirror (magic or not) can ever adequately express that. Don't become a slave to yourself. Don't let others enslave you. The last thing everyone wants to become is the villain... so don't be her... be you.
*A special thank you to my brother for inspiring me to write this article. <3
