Audrey Hepburn is quoted as saying “The beauty of a woman grows with passing years”. How many of us look in the mirror and love what we see reflected back?
There are those moments in your day, walking by a window, passing in front of a mirror, glancing in the rearview mirror while driving, or checking in before exiting an elevator that we all evaluate how we look. It’s okay, we all do it, it's human nature.
As we get older our skin changes, with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, less elasticity, and changes in our skin tone and texture. Companies have recognized a thriving market for middle-aged and beyond women and are now creating more products catered to our needs.
These products can be viewed as just another way media can make women feel “less than perfect” but I believe as our skin matures we require products that focus on helping it thrive as the amount of collagen and elastin decreases, requiring a skincare regime that keeps the skin hydrated and protected.
I tend to use the mirror as a way to critique my appearance based on the standards of beauty our culture defines. Seeing more the flaws and the imperfections than the beauty that is evolving as I mature.
With the introduction of Zoom and Facetime, I can’t count the times when chatting with a girlfriend we commented on the lines on our faces, the wrinkled neck skin or the double chin being projected.
So how do we get beyond internal and external dialogue, this mindset when we see our reflections?
It can be a challenge to embrace and accept these changes with love and the knowledge that we are so much more than what is projected back at us. Underneath we must find space to truly love ourselves.
Instead, we should gaze upon our reflections without feeling discouraged but rather to see our natural beauty and feel charged and motivated. Remember that how we view our reflection impacts how we move forward into the day, our mood, our energy, and our mindset.
We can choose to use our mirror image as an invitation to self-love. An invitation to be accepting and kind to ourselves. To embrace the moments that have brought us to this time in our life journey, that makes us who we are as we acknowledge our reflection in the mirror.
Sole Sister Ramblers started as a passion project to create a safe space for women in midlife and beyond to share their life journeys. This global community of accomplished women living full active lives has given me an understanding we are so much more than our appearance. We are strong in mind and body, we are wise with knowledge, and we are accomplished from the many life experiences we have lived.
So my Sole Sisters as you ramble out into your week, as you look at your reflection in the mirror, smile at the face smiling back at you. You are perfectly amazing, my lovelies in every way.
I like feeling that I am a different person now
than I was when I was 20. I like looking
in the mirror and seeing that evidence.
I think my face represents who I am.
I like it. - Justine Bateman
I am baffled that anyone might not
think women get more beautiful as
they get older. Confidence comes
with age, and looking beautiful comes
from the confidence someone has
in themselves. - Kate Winslet
READ MORE > Jane's Mindful Musings, Rambler Cafe Blog.
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