In life as an adult, there are certain mirrors that show a fairly decent version of ourselves. And then there are the “ugly” mirrors : the mirrors that we don’t often want to look in or catch the glimpse of.

Let’s start with the mirror above the fresh produce section at the supermarket. The one mounted high in the ceiling, reflecting down on your head like a security camera from hell. You glance up and BAM, your greys are more prominent than you thought, the roots are definitely showing, the cleavage looks weird, and the forehead situation? Let’s not talk about it.

Really, any mirror from above should be smashed into a million pieces.

But the real kicker is the car visor mirror. That thing is savage. It somehow manages to show everything in high-definition daylight: every pore, wrinkle, and hair you didn’t know existed. And I’m not talking about glamorous lashes here. I’m talking chin hairs. Black ones. Protruding ones.

It's has something to do with the way the sun catches and lands on the item in the mirror.

The mirror in my bathroom showed a fairly well put together me, good skin, clean teeth, bright eyes, wild hair managed, or at least contained.

But this other mirror showed a different side to me. Now some might say “Be thankful for that second mirror, because it showed you the things you didn't realise. Who knows how many people might have already looked at those hairs and had to try and maintain eye contact while they (the hairs) were staring back at them...”

- Ahhhh, so you want me to practice gratitude in this exposing light?

I did say thanks for pointing those little pesky hairs out and swiftly went home got the tweezer out, plucked all those hairs out. A barrage of tears flowing, particularly for the ones in the nose. It is just a different pain threshold, isn't it tweezing.

I agree there is value in getting a little heads up, and a fresh perspective is always healthy.

But it got me to thinking, is there anything else in my life that needs an ugly mirror and a little sunlight on just the right angle?

Of course the answer is yes. Always.

There’s always something that could use a little honest reflection. But I’ve learned that it’s best to look when you have the emotional resilience when you can see what’s there without crumbling from it. When you can reflect, take action, and not fall into a shame spiral about the metaphorical (or literal) chin hairs you missed.

This is what I teach and practice in the Soul Care Method. Not how to be perfect, but how to be aware. How to hold up the mirror with compassion. How to build the emotional strength to actually do something about what you see, whether it’s a boundary you keep breaking, a behaviour you’ve outgrown, or just a bit of emotional buildup that needs clearing.

It’s funny how life hands us these little moments like a car mirror ambush that lead to something deeper. Sometimes, healing doesn’t show up as a big aha moment. Sometimes it shows up as a rogue hair in full sun, asking you:

What else haven’t you looked at lately?

🎧 Want to hear more about these “rogue mirror” moments and how they show up in our emotional lives?
In Episode 6, The Soul Care Healing Podcast I dive deeper into the unexpected ways life holds up the mirror and how we can respond with curiosity, not shame. It’s full of honest reflection, laughter, and gentle reminders that you’re not alone in your weirdness.

Take care and thanks again. It is wonderful to share my weirdness and random hairs with you.

Enjoy your week ahead. As always, thank you for reading.

Gayle xx