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Do you ever feel like Snow White’s stepmother?
The story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a fairy tale that defies all borders with translations in many languages. It touches us personally.
In this story Snow White’s wicked stepmother looks into her mirror each day and asks, « Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all ? » She is happy because it constantly replies, “You are the fairest of them all.”
Then one day the response changed. The Mirror replied, “Snow White is fairest of them all.” Hearing this, the stepmother feels old and unattractive. It is now the younger woman who symbolizes beauty and charm.
How many times do we look in a mirror and ask similar questions? Am I still beautiful? Will others see me as attractive? How do I look today?
And how many times do we look for the beauty of smooth and flawless skin, seeking only what shows on the surface? Usually we are expressionless as we judge ourselves with a critical eye. This lack of expression gives our wrinkles and flaws no life and no interest. We see them only as lines and spots, overlooking the real beauty that they represent.
Instead we seek the youthful, cosmetic beauty that shows in the numerous ads that bombard us and against which we are unrealistically comparing ourselves. In reality we are comparing ourselves against girls and boys, not yet women and men, who are so young that they have not yet developed character and experience lines on their faces. If the truth be known, many of those images are not even real people. They are an artist’s creation.
So forget those bodies. Let’s get real.
Think of a time when you were at an event and were drawn towards someone. You knew by looking at the person that you wanted to meet him or her. Now ask yourself honestly. Was it because they had flawless skin and ideal bodies? Probably
not. It was more likely due to the way they carried themselves with confidence and an expression of openness and the joy of living the moment that emanated from their genuine smile or laughter as they spoke or listened.
Keep this in mind the next time you look in the mirror and get lost in details of your skin texture. Move away from the mirror and look at the whole picture before you. Do your eyes sparkle when you smile? Does your expression show that you’re interested in life? Research shows that others are attracted to us when we show a positive attitude. Smiling with your whole being is a strong indicator of a positive attitude. Think of something that will make you smile wherever you are and share your smile freely.
My 65 year old face is full of wrinkles in all directions, but when I smile they fall into place. They are meant to be there and to be shared. – Shared with a smile and a dose of laughter for good measure. The photo of Anne-Marie in the March edition of Age With Pizzazz is a good example. Her eighty year old wrinkles glisten with the excitement of living.
At the gym the other day a women said to me, “Do you know every time you walk past a mirror you look at yourself and smile?” I had to admit that I’m no longer conscious of doing this. It is a trick I learned that has become habit. When I see a mirror I flash a smile at myself as though to say, I think you’re wonderful. Even though I no longer realize I’m doing it, it gives me a boost and makes me feel good inside. It ignites that inner glow once again to make me feel I’m among the fairest of them all.
Try it. Next time you go to the mirror, don’t ask who is fairest of them all. Show yourself the answer. Smile and admire yourself for the beautiful person you are. Smile, laugh, sing. Let your inner beauty glow.
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