Broken Mirrors

I believe that people's self-esteem is like a mirror. Some people's mirrors make them look absolutely amazing no matter what happens in their lives, never showing any faults or imperfections. Other mirrors show the person in a more realistic sense, pointing out both good qualities and bad. Others still are very negative and mainly show faults and perfections, never focusing on the good aspects of the person.

And then there are mirrors like mine. Mine changes how I look every day - sometimes more than once a day. Sometimes my reflection is highly beautiful and perfect, almost Photoshopped to oblivion. Usually, though, I see only the bad about myself. It takes a lot of strength to say, "Hey Sylvia! You do realize that you're smart, creative, caring, etc. right?" And I've only just recently learned to believe myself when I forcefully point out my better qualities. Figuring out how to do this was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, since (to put it frankly) hating myself was what I was used to.

Now, though, I've come to love who I am, both the good and the bad. It's a sense of balance, of yin-yang. There has to be some faults in everybody to make people truly appreciate their strengths and talents. If I can pull a 180 degree turn and realize this, anybody can. It's difficult and sometimes seems downright impossible, but if somebody is really bound and determined  to see themselves in a better light, they'll eventually do it.