We all have a mental picture of ourselves that we have have painted… Following this article is a poem that might be familiar to you.

What Do You See?

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “What you see is what you get.”  Perhaps you use it once in awhile. It has been used for a long time, in a variety of ways including song lyrics.

So, what about when you look into the mirror?  What do you see?  Just who is that person?  Have you ever just stopped for a few minutes and stared into the mirror? I’m not talking about fixing your hair or adjusting your clothing.  I’m talking about staring right into the mirror.

Who do you see?  What do you think of that person starring right back at you?  Do you like what you see?  Is the person you see headed for success or failure in life?

Is that person just getting by day after day?  What has that person accomplished that impresses you?  Do you admire that person?

Who Do You Admire?

Now I am sure that there are a number of people that you admire, but have you ever considered just why you admire them?  What specific quality do you find appealing enough to admire them?  There must be reasons why you hold them in such high esteem. So, just what is it about them?

Do you know all the faults, weaknesses and shortcomings of the people that you admire?  Is that what you admire about them?  Absolutely not.

Okay, so now back to the mirror.  Do you admire the person you see in the mirror?  If not, why not?  Is it because they have not achieved a level that would warrant your admiration?  Or, is it that you know their failings and shortcomings all too well?  Is that what you see when you look into the mirror, only failures and shortcomings?

If that’s true, then stay at the mirror for just a bit longer.  Do you have any compliments for the person in the mirror? You must have a least one, don’t you?  After all, you’ve known that person for a really long time. Surely, there must something you can bring to mind about them that is positive and complimentary.

How about another compliment?  And another?  The person in the mirror needs and deserves your praise.  So, why not give them a compliment?  Say it!

Talk To Myself?

Yes, say it:  “I’m proud of you for doing that.”  I’m really impressed at the way you handled that situation.”  “You know, you really are good at that.”    Why do we think that it is just fine and normal to beat ourselves up for our failures and shortcomings, but somehow think that it is egotistical to recognize and acknowledge our successes?  I think we’ve got it all backwards!

Often, when people look into the mirror they only see failures, shortcomings, and weaknesses.  That’s what they see because that’s the picture of themselves that they carry around day after day.

The picture that we carry of ourselves is the one that we have painted with our own self-talk.  The things that we think and say about ourselves are the paint that we have chosen to put on the canvas.  And, what you see is what you get.

The picture that you carry of yourself will manifest and be evident in your life.  “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he!”  Our consistent thoughts about ourselves and the emotions they evoke will eventually move into our belief system. Our lives today are a product of our own belief system.

And Now, The Good News!

The good news is that if we want to, we can change our belief system, and thus change our lives.

A great starting point, or, a simple method to help in that process, is to compliment the person looking back at you whenever you look into the mirror.  Remind them of past successes, not past failures.  Remind them of good things, not bad.

Remind them of what God has done for them because of what Christ accomplished.  Remind them of who they really are – God’s righteous child.  Remind them that with God’s help there is no stopping them, for He has promised to give us the desires of our hearts.

This simple method, along with guarding the things that you think and say about yourself, will help you greatly in changing your belief system so that you can truly be the person you desire to be.

What you see is what you get!

Michael Verdicchio
2011

Over the years, the following poem has been misquoted and even wrongly titled as, “The Man in the Glass.”  Here is the original, written in 1934, by Dale Wimbrow.  And, no, there is no typo in the last word of the first line; it is indeed the word, “pelf.”

The Guy in the Glass
by Dale Wimbrow, (c) 1934

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn’t your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear up to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass.

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