A Look in the Mirror

In the small acting class above the theater, the students got up to leave, but they were halted by the teacher’s voice, “For homework I want you all to look at yourself in the mirror and write down 5 things you notice about how you look. Bring your list with you next class.” The students all nodded and some jotted down the assignment as they left the room.

The next time the class met each of the students sat in a circle so everyone could see one another. The teacher asked a student to read what she had written for her homework. “My nose is too big, my eyes have wrinkles under them, my thighs are fat, my teeth are crooked, and my hair is a mess” Then the man next to her went “My stomach is flabby, my skin is oily, my arms are too small, my hair is thinning, and I slouch.”

Each student in the class took their turn, but the trend was quickly apparent. All of the students had only found things they didn’t like about themselves. When the last student was done sharing, the teacher spoke, “The secret is that everyone looks for what’s wrong with themselves no matter what they look like.”

Most fitness goals involve changing something about how your body looks. Whether it’s slimming your waist or building bigger biceps, the common theme is change. However, much like the actors in the class, people tend to only see the things they want to change, ignoring all there is to appreciate about their bodies.

My challenge to you is to go look in the mirror and find 5 things you like about yourself. Share them or keep them secret, it doesn’t matter. Being happy with your body is not just about how your body looks, but also how you see yourself. I think it would benefit almost everyone to take a little time to appreciate what they already have while working toward an even better version of themselves.