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You never know where you will learn something new about yourself. The most mundane event like bumping into a stranger or watching a tv commercial can shift your mindset.
I recently watched a video - Dove Real Beauty Sketches - that made an impression on my self-beliefs and my perception.
I challenge you to watch this video, think about the message, and let me know what you learned about yourself from watching.
Here’s the video link to the video - Dove Real Beauty Sketches...
Video Link:
Here are my main takeaways from watching the video – Dove Real Beauty Sketches:
- We are our own worst critic. Why are we so quick to cut ourselves down? If we talked to our friends the way we talk to ourselves, we would have no friends. Be kinder to yourself.
- We spend too much time focused on our flaws. Can we focus on the positive instead of the negative? I shaved my arms once. I was in middle school and thought that the hair on my arms was too thick and dark. So silly to think about now, but back then I was a little obsessed with fitting in. This is something we should grow out of as we become more comfortable with our uniqueness.
- Perception is not reality. Is this really true? We all look at the world through our own unique lense. Our customs, experiences and thought patterns frame how we see things. Sometimes what we see is not real, distorted. It’s a good idea to check our assumptions once in a while.
- Small criticisms can run deep. Do you really need to say that out loud? One woman in the video mentioned that her mom always said she had a large chin. That one comment stuck with her for decades. You never know how a comment will be taken. When in doubt be kind, not critical.
- Too much humility is harmful. Will you just take the compliment? Sometimes we can be too humble – we won’t accept a compliment or positive feedback. That hurts us and the giver as well. Too much humility leads to self-deprecation which is actually a criticism of oneself. Stop criticizing yourself.
I have created a deck of 3x5 cards with positive messages and I flip through them when I feel low. They remind me of my gifts, my worth, my strengths, my value, my uniqueness.
Some people put post-it notes on their bathroom mirror to remind themselves they are beautiful, they are strong, they are loved.
What can you do to be kinder to yourself?
I hope that you watched the video and gained something from this exercise. Let me remind you just in case…
You are stronger than you think and more important than you realize.
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