What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror?

This article is the first in a two-week series on Intent.com, honoring the launch of my book Love Your Body, Love Your Life. My intent with this series is to help you discover and experience the beauty that you truly are, have always been, and will always be. Too many people go through life believing that they are too fat, too old, too tall, or too short, to be considered sexy, desirable, and absolutely lovable. It is my goal in these twelve posts to debunk and destroy any of these false beliefs about yourself that you may be carrying around. Life is too short and too glorious to live with a deluded view of yourself. You are more magnificent than the most exquisite image of beauty – you need only to realize it and live from this exceptional place. May you revel in your beauty, may you rejoice in your vitality, may you experience yourself as the beautiful and glorious being that you truly are, always. 

What do you see when you look in the mirror? If you are like most people, looking in the mirror doesn’t conjure up magnificent images of beauty, more stunning than a Michelangelo painting. On the contrary, here is the reflection that most people see staring back at them:

–My butt is too big

–My arms are too flabby

–My hair is too flat, too curly, or too drab

–My face has too many wrinkles

–I have cellulite on the back of my thighs

–My breasts are starting to sag

–My muscles are non-existent

–I am way too short

–I am way too tall

–I am too fat

–I am too skinny

On and on the list goes, ad nauseum, replete with a list of our supposed imperfections. Very few people look in the mirror and are struck by a sense of wonder and beauty. It occurred to me a while back that this is truly tragic. After all, the human body is one of the most amazing and astounding creations on this planet. Here are some mind-bending statistics on the human body:

• Your body replaces 98 percent of its atoms in less than one year.
• You get a new liver every six weeks.
• You create a new skeleton every three months.
• You get a new stomach lining every five days.
• A whole new skin is generated every month.
• The cells in your brain weren’t there last year; even your DNA as raw material did not exist six weeks ago.

Your body is in a constant state of renewal, change, and dynamic exchange with its environment.¹

Why is it that so few people view themselves with a sense of wonder, a sense of awe, and a sense of enchantment? Why in the world is this?

Of course there are many reasons, but for now I will focus on the socially-induced delusion that has been propagated throughout society, passed down generation from generation, silently aiding and abetting in this delusional construct of “not quite good enough.”

It’s an insidious belief that can seep unannounced into your psyche with debilitating effects. It is the belief that you are just not quite beautiful enough, attractive enough, or good enough. It is the belief that if you changed somehow, then you would be better than you are right now.

Now don’t get me wrong, the urge for self-improvement is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the desire to improve can help your life evolve in beautiful and exciting ways. Any desire to improve or change, however, is most effective when it comes from a place of self-acceptance. When you fully accept the present, you can intend the future. When you fully accept yourself, you can make healthy changes that will bring positive results. On the other hand, when you attempt to change from a place of inadequacy, frustration, or insecurity, your goals are often stymied and you are faced with limited success.

Here is one thing you must know: Who you are is inherently and absolutely perfect, whole, beautiful, and complete. Simply know this, and you can live a life of unsurpassed beauty.

Consider these words by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, a well-known sage,

“There is nothing wrong with you as the self. It is what it is to perfection. It is the mirror that is not clear and true and, therefore, gives you false images. You need not correct yourself – only set right your idea of yourself…”

This quote has the power to truly transform your body and your life. Simply set right your idea of yourself by attending to the mental beliefs you have about your body and yourself.

The first idea that must be set straight is that something is wrong with you and with your body. I cannot stress this enough. Many people spend every day believing that something is wrong with their bodies – not thin enough, not toned enough, not young enough – you read all this above. This is the fundamental limiting belief that must go. No matter where you are at, no matter what your body has or hasn’t done – your body is your ally and your greatest support in this journey through life.

The next idea, and what Maharaj is speaking about in the quote above, is that who you truly are is beyond the body and the mind. Who you truly are is magnificent beyond description, because it is beyond any experience. And ultimately it is when you know yourself as you truly are, beyond all thoughts, all sensations, and all experiences, that you will experience the bliss that is your birthright. As you connect with this part of yourself, the You which is beyond all experience, it will radically alter how you view yourself, your body, and the world around you. 

Ready to begin your journey of self-love and body-love? Post your intent on how you plan on honoring your body and spirit today.

LESSON 1: What Do You See When You Look In The Mirror? 

LESSON 2: When Did Negative Body Obsession Start? 

LESSON 3: Negative Body Stories

LESSON 4: Letting Go Of Your Story

LESSON 5: Letting Go Of Your Story (Part 2 of 3) 

LESSON 6: Letting Go Of Your Story (Part 3 of 3) 

LESSON 7: Know Yourself Beyond Your Story

LESSON 8: The Source of Beauty

LESSON 9: Allow Your Beauty To Emerge

LESSON 10: Your Body As The Doorway

LESSON 11: Discovering Your True Beauty: Remember Only This

About the Author

Sarah Maria is the author of Love Your Body, Love Your Life. The book outlines her 5-step process for helping you feel great in and about your body and yourself. Her work embraces the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, so that true and lasting healing can occur. Click here to purchase your copy and begin to love your body today! To learn more about Sarah Maria and her work, you can visit her websites at www.sarahmaria.com and www.breakfreebeauty.com