Have you ever tried to go an entire day without looking into a mirror? Yes, this includes looking into slightly reflective surfaces, which does constitute looking at yourself. Here’s the problem I have with all the mirrors out there: It is reflecting back what you see. And what you see is a twisted and warped image of what you believe

Think about it. How many times have you woken up in the morning and really felt good about yourself.. until you look in the mirror? That’s when you start to pinch your skin and suck in and notice all the not so important imperfections. You may not even realize that you are doing it. When you peer into the mirror and focus on what you hate, telling yourself that you are fat, ugly, gross, or disgusting, you are no longer seeing what is in the mirror; you are seeing an emotional representation of how you think you look .So the question I have to ask, Why all the self-hatred?

Today, the media is a far more powerful influence than ever before, sometimes taking precedence over friends, family or other real women. In the past women used to look at role models who were average-sized, women are now comparing themselves with images (some of which are merely computerized parts) that are unrealistically thin. In the old days, a young girl grew up wanting to look like someone who was built like their Mom or friend. Now, the goal is to look like Kendall or Kylie Kardashian.

So what's the problem? Who do we really blame? The mirror? The media? Well, as I sit here and I really think about it, the problem may actually be us. The way we take the media in. They way we look at our reflections. The way we let untrue thoughts and feelings define us. Eleanor Roosevelt once said ,"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." She was a woman who certainly never let the mirror decide if she was going to have a good day or not. So why are we letting an inanimate object decide how we see ourselves?

I am so over this and you should be too. The mirror doesn’t get to make decisions about how you live your life. It doesn't get to decide whether or not you are beautiful or feel beautiful, because I can tell you right now that you are. Next time you catch yourself starting to hate what you see in your reflection, I encourage you to call a timeout for yourself. Step away from the mirror. There is nothing for you to look at, at least not until you learn to be nice to yourself. Eventually, that mirror will learn to see your true beauty. And when it does, so will you.