About the project
The Radical Reflection Project
to Transform Self-Talk in the Mirror
It is generally agreed that “mean girls” and bullies are bad. We recognize the need to prevent young people from engaging in these behaviors towards each other, but what about the way we behave towards ourselves?
What is your first instinct when you look in the mirror?
Do your eyes immediately dart to your skin quality? The color of your teeth? Your hair? Do you look down at your belly and suck it in? What do you call yourself? Ugly? Fat? A mess? Old? Stupid? Irrelevant? Unlovable? Undeserving?
We’ve been there. We’ve done it, too.
The worst part is, the way we treat our reflection doesn’t end with the mirror. We make it mean we’re not good enough and that follows us out the door. It affects our confidence, our relationships, and creates a model for our children’s self-talk.
It’s so easy to feel powerless. To feel limited. To feel ugly.
And to feel like it’s normal to feel that way.
But screw that. It’s time to invent a new possibility.
We are going to take back those moments in the mirror and transform them into opportunities to be powerful, to feel limitless, and to own our worth.
We will allow a new, intentional voice to speak for us and, for that one moment, we will silence the automated voice that only speaks hate at ourselves.
For two weeks we will practice a simple, yet radical, act.
We will offer our own reflection one compliment a day.
The world needs us to be powerful. And we are so done mean-girling ourselves.
About THE PROJECT
Step One: Create your community. Anything from one good friend to a group on social media counts. The important thing is to do this project with at least one other. Don’t go it alone!
Step Two: Register!
Step Three: Starting on day one, you will look in the mirror and offer yourself one compliment every day for two weeks. That compliment doesn’t have to be major. It could be as simple as, “I’m good with my hair today,” or, “I was kind to the grocery clerk.” It could be neutral, like, “I’m okay with my arms the way they are.” Maybe you’re ready for bold moves and you say, “I love my skin,” or, “Dang, I’m really smart and good at my job!” Your compliments are yours to give. It’s okay if it takes a while to find something. It’s okay if you have to fake it ’til you make it! Just look until you choose one thing.
@ljingalls: I love how I smile with my whole face. The joy of the moment radiates from my beautiful laugh lines.
Step Four: We are not about thinking goals. We are about action! Once you’ve decided on your compliment, choose one of the following options:
- Option A: Follow the link from your daily Radical Reflection email to easily record your daily compliment.
- Option B: Print out the official Radical Reflection PDF and write down your compliment.
- Bonus Opportunity: Inspire others to change the conversation with their own reflection by sharing your compliment on social media with the hashtag #RadicalReflection
Step Five: At the end of two weeks, plan a time to connect with your team. This could be done via phone, Facebook group, or, better yet, over wine and cheese for a friends night. Together, reflect on your experiences over the past two weeks. We will provide discussion questions if you need help kicking off the conversation!
origin story
The women behind the movement
The inception of the Radical Reflection Project started with Laura Ingalls through her work with The Landmark Forum. The project concept was further developed by a group of intersectional, badass ladies representing multiple races, nationalities, religions, body-types, survivor stories, marital statuses, health statuses, ages, and industries. These women are Amina Salahaddin, Erica Holt, Meg Guliford, Jessica Colgan-Snyder, and Erin Rubin.
