The Man in the Mirror!

At the gym this morning, I happened to glace in the mirror as I did my stretching exercises. What I saw today was something I had never really paid attention to before. Normally when I look at my reflection I see all of my flaws. The tire that still adorns my waist line,the round instead of slender face and the flabby arms and not the toned muscle that lies underneath. 
Today the reflection that greeted me was a much more appealing one.  Instead of staring at what I deem as obvious flaws, what I saw was a fairly normal looking guy.It wasn't that I chose to overlook the flaws, my initial impression was hmmmm, not bad.
It got me to thinking. It is possible that what I see in the mirror is not what others see when they look at me.I am guilty of being overly critical and judgmental when it comes to my self image.It is one area of my life that I have not come to terms with.This is true not just about my physical appearance alone.My image of myself in general,often seems to be quite different than the feedback or comments I hear from others.
In this season of reflection,I think it is high time that I change the filters that color the way I see myself. In fact, I may be best served to remove the filters completely. To look in the mirror and be accepting of what I see. No criticism. No judgement. Just unconditional acceptance. It's advice I would certainly offer to others. Strange how I have such a hard time adopting it  for myself.
Something else I may want to put some effort into!
Shavua Tov!