About 10 years ago I gave up looking in mirrors for lent. That's right 40 days of avoiding looking at myself. I covered all the mirrors in my home with sheets and towels so as not to catch a mistaken glance.

And then I continued to live life. I still put makeup on in the morning. I dried my hair, sometimes even curled it. I still got dressed and went out with friends. Pictures were posted of me on social media that I avoided. 

I learned a lot in those 40 days absent of my reflection. 

1. I learned I am a person of routine. People were really astounded that I left the house with makeup on and having done my hair. But the truth is, when I could no longer rely on my sense of sight I realized that I pretty much do the same thing in my daily preparations. 

2. I had to trust those around me to tell me if something was wrong. Mascara on my cheek? There was no way of knowing unless someone clued me in. I had to trust those around me to be my eyes and bring light to any awkward oversights. 

3. How you look doesn't matter. What??? In the time I gave up looking in the mirror I gained perspective. I gained the realization that my reflection has no bearing on my relationships and my quality of life. 

When lent was over and I stepped in front of my reflection for the first time in 40 days something revelatory happened... I noticed all the things I didn't like first. I had expected to have this lovely moment of appreciation for my reflection and instead I immediately noticed flaws. What was going on with my eyelid? Have my knees always looked that way? Was my face puffy or is that how it always had looked?

It hadn't mattered what my knees looked like in the previous 40 days. And in many ways this had freed me. Freed me to stop worrying about the appearance and start participating more. Our reflection can hold so much power over us. It can change our mood. It can tell us a story that is untrue. When I stopped giving my reflection power for 40 days I realized just how little it mattered.