What are your reflecting?

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Posted: 18 years ago
#1

What Are You Reflecting?

Guest article by Jodie Foster

Have you looked in the mirror lately? I mean, really looked in the mirror. What did you see? Were you surprised by the image being reflected back to you? Did it look like you? Did it meet the image you hold of yourself in your mind?

If it didn't match, what were the differences? What was the image telling you?

What do you think the image is that you are projecting out to the world? Does it match your inner view? How has it changes from a year ago? 5 years? 10 years?

Think about the image you have of yourself. Has it evolved over the years as you have? So often, we lock an image in our mind of who we are, never upgrading it or enhancing it as we change in the world.
We upgrade our technology, cell phones, computers, etc, however we forget to upgrade our inner view of ourselves.

Think about how much you've changed and ask yourself if your image is really outdated?
Internal imaging is not only about your body image, but it is about your entire being, mind, body and spirit. Body image is such a powerful subject in the media of late with actresses coming forward to speak about their struggles with food and image.
While the pressure they are under comes so much from their industry, it is also self imposed. Insecurity about their appearance existed deep within their being and rattled their inner foundation long before the external pressure began.

Think about your inner foundation. Is it stable or rickety and swayed by the latest fashion model to be on the cover of a major magazine? If you don't feel stable and sure of yourself and the image you have of your self, what steps can you take?

First, identify that the image is just that- an image. The image is not a real thing, but just a picture or idea you took and filed away in your memory. That snapshot has been subjected to years of media influence, family and society influences.

The snapshot is no longer a clear picture, its been subjected to many layers of distortion and became an image that resembles a digitally enhanced, high-tech animation or caricature. It is no longer the truth.

After many years of distortion, it requires clarity. Sorting through the layers may take some time and concentrated effort. It takes patience and commitment, along with a good dose of compassion and self nurturing.

As you peel away the layers, each step of the way its important to clarify the truth. Ask yourself if the image you are seeing is the core truth for your being. Listen to your intuition. Feel the answer deep within your belly. Does the belief attached to that image ring true? Is it your belief or society's? Is it your mother's voice you hear, or maybe another's?

Then ask what motivates that particular image. Is it motivated to please mother? Is it motivated to please father's image of you? Could it be motivated by attracting attention, or by not wanting to attract attention? What is the deepest motivator? Could it be motivated by aloneness and the quest to never be alone? Could it be motivated by comparison and the need to meet some fictional inner standard?

Once you have identified your motivators, you can choose to address the core issues. You can face the emotion that is connected to the belief and release it, then replace the belief with a new truth.

You define your own truths. You create your own images. You define who you are and how you choose to present yourself to the world. It's all up to you. You are the creator of your world. Regain your power from the fears you have held within you. Call on friends, family, or counseling for assistance in sorting the facts from the fiction.

You are the only one who knows the truth for you. Others can try to define it for you and tell you who they want you to be, or you can look to others who will help you ask questions and uncover your own truth.

Seek empowerment, not mass media and pre-determined molds to try to fit in to. Seek your inner path and find the light of your own truth, then radiate that light out for the world to see.

You are a unique being with your own inner beauty and shining light. If you recognize it, own it and value it, then so will others. Let that be the new image you show to the world.

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When we look in the mirror do we see what we want to see? For instance, I feel I look slightly different in photographs compared to my reflection in the mirror. What cud be the reason for this? It is just a psychological thing and that there really is no difference between our image in photographs and our reflection in the mirror or is it to do with physics or even lighting, image quality, make-up, moods and internal feelings?

What are you reflecting?

What do you see and feel when you see your reflection in the mirror?

sorry for the reli long post😳

Edited by Supergirl7 - 18 years ago

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persistence thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#2
[quote]You are a unique being with your own inner beauty and shining light. If you recognize it, own it and value it, then so will others. Let that be the new image you show to the world. [/quote]

I wish! It's so disheartening, at least for me, to not able to appreciate myself. I try my best to do everybody good, pray for all I care, please all before myself.

Funny thing.... I know of all my good (and bad) qualities, and all I do... yet I can't find value in it. Always feels like I am doing what anybody else is, but that ain't true either. Sometimes, I do more; sometimes, it is way less. I know the truth, yet I will find millions of reasons or none to counter myself.

Bottom line, I am full of contradictions! I don't know how to even begin to self-nurture. I am not sure why I am working for the world. Hmmm, not sure if that statement is true either. BUT I am sure of one thing... I am not quite working for myself. Not sure I am living my dream either. Sometimes, I am so sure that I haven't been a good human being, a good daughter or a good sister... Basically, LOST! Lost in trying to find my perfect world.

There I go again, baring my soul on a public forum. 😆

That is what I see in myself. What I see in the mirror is actually a pretty girl. 😳 Yeah, I can boast quite a lot. 😆 And totally, agree with the photograph part.... i hate my pix... always come out horrible; I look better in person. 😆

Persy
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Posted: 18 years ago
#3
By the way, looking good does make a person feel better. Outside appearances are important, but not as important as what is on the outside. 😳
Guardian Angel thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#4
😆 😆 Well..... I try to avoid looking in the mirror first thing in the morning. 😆

The trick is not to overdo the mirror stuff. Shower or whatever, dress, do the mirror thing and feel confident. Its different to look for spots or blemishes otherwise you look as good as you feel. And above all, if you feel good within you will most certainly feel good from outside too. 😳
chatbuster thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#5

i find a person who's drifting, doesn't know who he is any more. have done well relative to even my wildest expectations, yet feel very lost at times. feel i dont know myself. too much of the useless hard-hitting life i suppose.

on a superficial level, i see a guy who looks as good as ever, if not better. more confident too. someone who knows he can get most what he wants. but doesnt know what he wants anymore.
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Posted: 18 years ago
#6

Originally posted by: chatbuster


i find a person who's drifting, doesn't know who he is any more. have done well relative to even my wildest expectations, yet feel very lost at times. feel i dont know myself. too much of the useless hard-hitting life i suppose.

on a superficial level, i see a guy who looks as good as ever, if not better. more confident too. someone who knows he can get most what he wants. but doesnt know what he wants anymore.



wow.. perhaps it is in scorpio horroscope then! howi concur even with that..
Edited by mermaid_QT - 18 years ago
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Posted: 18 years ago
#7
I think Mirrors reflect without feelings,the mirror says we are fat or thin, plain or pretty, dazzling or dull.. 😉 I judge my body, I judge my face, my hair, I judge the outfit that I am wearing. I still feel the need to be validated as this personality 😊
persistence thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#8

Originally posted by: chatbuster


i find a person who's drifting, doesn't know who he is any more. have done well relative to even my wildest expectations, yet feel very lost at times. feel i dont know myself. too much of the useless hard-hitting life i suppose.

on a superficial level, i see a guy who looks as good as ever, if not better. more confident too. someone who knows he can get most what he wants. but doesnt know what he wants anymore.

Are most of us like this?

mermaid_QT thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#9

Originally posted by: Supergirl7

When we look in the mirror do we see what we want to see? For instance, I feel I look slightly different in photographs compared to my reflection in the mirror. What cud be the reason for this? It is just a psychological thing and that there really is no difference between our image in photographs and our reflection in the mirror or is it to do with physics or even lighting, image quality, make-up, moods and internal feelings?

I think it has to do a lot with features, make up, lighting, mood and camera quality and cameraman skill.
My dad takes decent pictures of me, which is HARD, as I am not photogenic at all. On professional cameras, I have done a decent job and so do I in home videos, but my pictures are so fake most of the times 🤢..
I wish I were photogenic.😳

What are you reflecting?
Mirrors are awesome. They always show me ME.

What do you see and feel when you see your reflection in the mirror?
Joy 😳

It is the look inside that makes me want to become a woman less gullible and stronger than I imagine myself to be.

Edited by mermaid_QT - 18 years ago
200467 thumbnail
Posted: 18 years ago
#10

Originally posted by: Supergirl7

What Are You Reflecting?

great article. enjoyed reading it. lot of questions to ponder about...hmmmm

When we look in the mirror do we see what we want to see? For instance, I feel I look slightly different in photographs compared to my reflection in the mirror. What cud be the reason for this? It is just a psychological thing and that there really is no difference between our image in photographs and our reflection in the mirror or is it to do with physics or even lighting, image quality, make-up, moods and internal feelings?

I feel i look lot different in mirror than i do in the photographs. somehow, the stills don't capture the spark in my eyes and the smile. wonder why????

What are you reflecting?

hmmm....now a days, i see a woman who is evolving once again. not sure whether for better or worst. i have this constant struggle going on inside me whether i am doing the right thing or not...never had to worry about it before!!!

it was lot better these past 14 years, especially the last 11 years spent here in the u.s. i was so busy catching up with life that did not even realize when it started to slip thru my fingers. busy doing the usual stuff of trying to be the perfect woman...the perfect mom, wife, student, daughter, employee...what not. worked so hard that did not even get time to realize what i was missing out in life. almost worked myself to the point that i was numb to my existence, my feelings, my desires.

last year or so, life has stabilized a lot, got a great career going and finally found some time....which i hate now because it gave me enough time to re-evaluate me as ME...as a woman, ....too much confusion. makes it even hard to cope when you are not in the habit of defending what you "should not" be doing...whether it is killing so much time on forums when you actually should be working or whatever😕...but still not regretting it...not feeling even an ounce of guilt what so ever. at times, it kills me 'coz i am really not sure whether i like this new me or not😕

What do you see and feel when you see your reflection in the mirror?

hmmm...i see someone who looks quite okay...someone who friends and family think looks great but still don't know where, at times, the low self esteem comes from....the insecurity comes from😕 i do see someone who looks definitely better than her pics though😆😆😆

thanks...great topic....but i am even more confused now😆

Edited by Gauri_3 - 18 years ago

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