"Looking in the mirror and thinking, "yuck" ...it sucks
Do any of you all have any experience-based advice on how to shut off the internal $h!+-talking? "

Hi. " Experience-based advice"? You asked for, correct?

Yes. My daughter is going on 35 years old. When she was little, and when she was a teen... she asked me on a daily basis "How do I look ma?" aft a lifetime of fear that I was a freak (I used to ask the same question of my mother; this woman used to reply: "It doesn't matter what you look like, all that matters is what's inside"..... which caused me to believe I must be exceptionally ugly, because everyone used to look at me when I was in public... men stared at me... I was ashamed --thus , I thought I was a "freak" of some sort!)

...my reply to my daughter was an honest one...: "You are beautiful inside and out". She was, and now, she no longer needs me to tell her this. She knows it.

How to stop the negative chatter? Look in the mirror... look! (((((((((((KG8)))))))))))!!!!

*cackle cackle, said the witch who lost her broomstick**

Now, look deep into your eyes that look at you... I bet you are beautiful.

Forget the stereotypes... no one equals a label. No one person looks, or is the same as another ... forget what you have seen on TV. Forget all that nonsense.

Now, just smile at you... that's how I learned to stop it in my life.

And, my daughter's son will tell you... "My mommy is beautiful" and sing you a tune from Cars....



..... Hey? Stay Beautiful? My grandson is two, by the way:, "beautiful" is not gender specific to him!!throb: pax all....theo

**oops! He just came in, tapped on his sippy cup, and cleared his throat.... "Wadies and genamen, heeeeerrrres' Nana!" and sang it to me as this "old witch" took a bow before our imaginary audience***LMAO!!!

(oh, and... in case anyone did not get it? So often, I am mistaken in my posts here...guess, I'm just not "clear" enough??? I am one female who does NOT "Judge a book.... yada ...yada..)