“To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.

- Anonymous

From childhood we are sold on an ideal image of beauty, one few of us ever see reflected when we look in the mirror. This article will show you how you can look in the mirror and despite the ideal, see only a beautiful you.

When you look in the mirror, what’s the first thing you notice, and how does it make you feel? If you’re like most people, the first thing that catches your eye is probably your least favorite asset. If so, don’t worry you’re not alone. Here’s why. Can you guess how much money is spent in just one year by advertisers to sell us on the concept of the “ideal” image of beauty? Well, I can’t either but I do know this — it’s a lot of money, certainly somewhere in the billions of dollars!

So, technically, you can consider yourself brainwashed. From your earliest childhood days — whether you played with Action Man or Barbie — you’ve been receiving constant, consistent images telling you what beauty is supposed to look like. Never mind that these images are for the most part, anatomically impossible!

And, would you really want to look like Fabio anyway? Or Pam Anderson? Honestly? I’m guessing probably not.

So, here’s how you can build your confidence with the body nature gave you:

1. Look in the mirror.

2. This time, really look at yourself. Reflect on the compliments you have received. Do people tell you how great your hair is? How beautiful your eyes are? That you have a nice smile? Try to see what they see.

3. Take it all in. Stand far enough away from the mirror so that you can take it all in. What do you see? Find at least three positive things.

4. Now, get up close. Really close. Look at your eyes — the irises. What color are they? Are they all one color or are there flecks of various colors? How would you describe them using positive analogies or adjectives?

5. Now, smile. What does your smile convey? Warmth? Happiness?

6. Find at least three characteristics you like best about yourself. Then accentuate them as you dress to go out. If you love your eyes, make sure your hair doesn’t cover them up. Love your lips? Make sure to keep them soft and moisturized. Your hair? Get a flattering cut and condition it regularly to keep it shiny and healthy. In short, amplify what you like, and don’t worry about the parts you don’t.

Here are some ways to do just that:

Go shopping and bring a good friend. Ask them to help you pick out colors and clothes they think flatter you. Don’t worry if your first reaction is “that’s not me!” Experiment!

Feel better about whatever it is you don’t like about yourself by picturing the absolute worst-case scenario. Exaggerate whatever it is you’re hung up on and blow it up in you mind until it’s comical. Then look in the mirror — not so bad anymore is it?

Accept yourself for who you are, how you look, and focus on what really matters — the things about you that can’t be seen — your heart, mind and soul!

What do you want people to praise you for? Is it really how you look? Probably not. You probably want people to think you’re funny, smart, nice, or generous — something along those lines right?
Make a list of your positive personal qualities and characteristics. Then ask yourself, what’s more important? Get involved in activities that build on your personal characteristics — volunteer, join a club, take a class to sharpen a talent. These will help you emphasize and focus more on the more important qualities that get you through life successfully and with more fun.

Live life, love fully and laugh often!

“希望你是別人等于浪費你本人” 。--無名氏

童年起，當我們照鏡子時，我們只看到一個美麗的形象，卻很少有人它所反映的東西。本文將教您如何照鏡子，只看到一個美麗的你，雖然是理想化了。

當你照鏡子時，你最想注意的是什么？它給你的感覺如何？如果你和常人一樣，最先引起你注意的可能是你最不喜歡的部分。如果是的話，別擔心，您并不孤單。為什么呢？你能猜出在短短的一年時間里，廣告商要花多少錢向我們出售“理想”的美麗形象這個概念的嗎？嗯，我猜不出，但我知道是要花很多錢的，肯定要上幾十億美元！

因此，技巧上，您可以考慮自己洗腦。從你的童年，不管你是否玩過玩具或芭比娃娃，你一直保持著不變的你期望的美麗形象。永遠記住，這些形象是在很大程度上及解剖學上是不可能的！

還有，你會真的要看起來像法比奧嗎？或帕姆.安德森？真誠地嗎？我猜大概不會。

所以，以下教你如何樹立你對與生俱來的身材的信心：

1. 看看鏡子里。
2. 這次，確實要看看你自己。思考別人對你的稱贊。有人告訴過你你的頭發有多好嗎？你的眼睛是多么的漂亮嗎？你的微笑很好看嗎？嘗試看看他們所看到的。

3. 看全身。站得離鏡子遠些，直到你能看到你全身。你看到什么呢？找出至少有三個好的地方。

4. 現在，照近一點。確確實實地靠近。看看你的眼睛-虹膜。他們是什么顏色？他們都是一個顏色，還是各種各樣顏色的雀斑？你會如何用積極的比喻或形容詞來描述他們？

5. 現在，請微笑。你的微笑傳達的是什么？溫暖？幸福？

6. 找出至少三個你最喜歡的特點。你打扮出門時強調一下這些特點。如果您愛您的眼睛，那就不要讓你的頭發把他們遮住了。愛護你的嘴唇呢？請務必讓它們柔軟和保濕。愛你的頭發呢？就剪一個討人喜歡的發型，再把它梳得整齊，保證其光澤和健康。簡而言之，完善你喜歡的，不必擔心你不喜歡的部分。

以下的一些方法讓你做到這一點：

帶一個好朋友和你去購物。請他們幫你挑選他們覺得令你滿意的顏色和衣服。如果您的第一反應是“這不是我”，也不用擔心！實驗！

想象絕對最壞的情況會讓你對你不喜歡自己的部分感覺更好。夸大所有令你心神不安并讓它充滿你哦的腦海，直到很滑稽。然后再照鏡子，沒有那么差，是吧？

接受你自己是誰，你長得怎樣，把重點放在你真正在乎的東西—那些你看不到的--你的心，思想和靈魂！

你想要人們稱贊你什么呢？是你的長相？大概不是。你也許希望人們能認為您搞笑、聰明、友好、或慷慨—伴隨這些的正義感？

列出你積極的個人素質和優點。然后問問自己，什么更重要？參一些能塑造你個人特點的活動，如義工；加入一個俱樂部，選擇一門能磨礪人才的課程。這些將有助于你強調和更專注于更重要的讓您的人生成功且帶來更多樂趣的素質。

生活，應該全身心的投入、笑口常開！