I am five days into Lent officially feel as if I have failed at my challenge! I am on the no mirrors team and thus far it has definitely been difficult. I am still just trying to remember! Suddenly it seems as if there are windows and reflections EVERYWHERE. I hid my desk mirror and covered my full length mirror with beauty quotes which has helped quite a bit but I still find myself looking in the mirror while brushing my teeth before realizing what I am doing and quickly looking down into the sink.
A girlfriend of mine asked me how I was doing without mirrors and I responded with, "Welllllllll...I am adjusting." I will do fine throughout most of the day but then I will accidentally see myself in a reflection or forget and glance in the mirror before running out and then to my horror I find a strand of hair out of place and I MUST look in the mirror again to spare others from having to look at me! I am only thinking of others.....right?
Wrong. I am thinking of others perception of me which leaves the focus on me...again. And Lent is about Jesus and purifying our hearts to make room for Him. Less of me, more of Him. So early on, I cannot say that I have seen any fruits of this sacrifice. Having said that, I have noticed a couple of things:
A girlfriend of mine asked me how I was doing without mirrors and I responded with, "Welllllllll...I am adjusting." I will do fine throughout most of the day but then I will accidentally see myself in a reflection or forget and glance in the mirror before running out and then to my horror I find a strand of hair out of place and I MUST look in the mirror again to spare others from having to look at me! I am only thinking of others.....right?
Wrong. I am thinking of others perception of me which leaves the focus on me...again. And Lent is about Jesus and purifying our hearts to make room for Him. Less of me, more of Him. So early on, I cannot say that I have seen any fruits of this sacrifice. Having said that, I have noticed a couple of things:
1. Checking the mirror is more habitual than it is an active choice
2. I choose outfits faster because I can't see if it doesn't match or make me look "fat"
3. It is much harder to get away with not freshly washed hair because I can't tell if any of my hair tricks actually helped. Leaving my trust in TRESemme!
2. I choose outfits faster because I can't see if it doesn't match or make me look "fat"
3. It is much harder to get away with not freshly washed hair because I can't tell if any of my hair tricks actually helped. Leaving my trust in TRESemme!
My girlfriend from before continued on and said it is a great challenge because we see beauty in other women much easier than we do in ourselves. Why is that? She believes it is because we have become numb to our own beauty. For the past 21 years of my life I have looked at myself every day. My face is not new to me. My hair and features and curves and skin tone is SO familiar to me that I no longer see my own beauty! While I do feel this challenge is helping me fight vanity, I hope it will also renew my love for myself and help me to longer be numb to my own beauty.
<3 Cayce
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