|
Mirror,
Mirror on the Wall
an Excerpt
Cultivate The Narcissus In You
OK, I know that in the original story, as told by the Greeks, Narcissus didn't
make a very good name for himself. Spurning all interested parties and letting
it be known that he was far too good for anyone, mortal or god, he made enemies.
He was cursed to fall in love with the next face he saw and was unfortunate
enough to catch a glimpse of himself in a still pool. Every time he reached
to touch his reflection he moved the water and destroyed it.
Narcissus is held up as a warning against self-centeredness, a cautionary tale
of what thinking too much of yourself can lead to, poster-boy, so to speak,
for hubris. And then there's his eponymous flower, forever synonymous with his
overweening self-love and gushing pride. But Narcissus wasn't all bad.
A little bit of narcissism, a syndrome named for the conceited Greek, can be
good for a relationship. I think some of that self-love can go a long way toward
keeping a relationship fresh and thriving. When we focus on ourselves, whether
it's with lavish beauty treatments and timeless relaxation rituals or by simply
turning our attention inward to ourselves, instead of the forest around us,
it's a good thing.
Haven't you noticed that the vitality and well-being we feel, the renewed sense
of pleasure in ourselves, spills over into the perceptions of others in our
lives? It's as if a little bit of that silver water is sprinkled on our loved
ones, sparkling their eyes with our loveliness, refreshing our skin to their
touch.
So go ahead. Indulge. Think of how you can turn everyday mundanities into a
celebration of you...
Get candy and flowers for yourself. Let the flowers be a bouquet, profuse and
trailing, of Narcissus. Let the candy be the sweet savor of satisfaction that
comes from treating yourself well. Once you've lain a few offerings at the "altar"
of the self, you'll still need a reflecting pool to gaze into. You will already
have that in your possession, the best reflecting pool being the twin pools
of your lover's eyes.
Authors Note: This 1500 word article includes a sidebar of Narcissistic activities
and a sidebar on how to help cultivate the Narcissus in others.
First North American publication print rights for this article have been sold.
For availability of this article's reprint rights in your distribution area,
and for information about other articles like it, email inkme@annettehyder.com
Back
to Plain Ink
|