Pretty Girl...Pretty Girl

Have you ever seen "Dumb and Dumber"? If you're my age (gulp, almost 35!), you probably have seen it... If you're a millennial, you may have seen "Dumb and Dumberer" (I'm sorry) or you watched the original because it is now considered a cult classic. In any case, I hope you have seen the original because it's quirky and ridiculous, and full of one-liners you can use in daily life, well, if you've got a sick sense of humor, like me. 

In the movie, one of the characters (Lloyd, by they way, but that doesn't matter) sells a dead parakeet to a wheelchair-laden blind boy (because of course he does). There's this scene with this little boy stroking the bird's head (which has been taped on) and he's repeating "Pretty Bird. Pretty Bird." See. It's this sweet, innocent, pre-pubescent melody. And lately I've been repeating it over and over to myself in the mirror, except replacing "bird" with "girl." 

Stay with me now: You've almost certainly heard that what you put out into the world comes back to you, or about the power of positive thinking, or that you become what you think... Yadda yadda. Right? This idea, however it's phrased, has been passed along through history (even before The Secret mentioned it, I'll remind you). So I'm testing it out. 

Basically my whole life I struggled with self-confidence and didn't like the reflection I saw in the mirror. I would mentally pick apart all the things that were "wrong" with my appearance...I had acne, then scars and deep pores. A bubble nose. Bushy eyebrows, and then thin, patchy eyebrows after majorly tweezed brows were all the rage in the 90s. Freckles, which I tried to cover with WAY too much foundation. The list goes on, and that was just my face! 

But I've been watching a lot of documentaries about food (I've mentioned how much I love food, right?) and one of the main points that all of them bring up is how the energy you put into something can be tasted when it's served. (Just like the power of positive thinking, but for food!) For example, a plant growing in a small garden behind the restaurant will produce more fruit if you sing to it and nurture it like a child. That positive energy makes the plant "happy" and it can make the dish taste better! These super serious, classically trained chefs become these mushy love-addicts when they talk about the special connection to the plants they grow. It's so amusing to watch! 

And I've got to think that method can work on people too! I know I feel so good when someone gives me a compliment, so why don't I start complimenting myself? Will it have the same affect? 

So as I put the moisturizer on my face at night, I spread it over my high cheekbones and pay myself a little compliment..."pretty girl, pretty girl." Then in the morning I coat my long eyelashes with mascara and say "pretty girl, pretty girl." It's helping to replace the negative self-talk with these reminders that I have things I love about my appearance too. I am a pretty girl.

You're pretty too (even you rough and tough guys! It's a state of mind, not an aesthetic!) Tell yourself that today and believe it. Then live it.

XOXO
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