To this day, the first thing that I do every morning is look in

The words of Khoudia Diop resound with the courage of self-affirmation: “To this day, the first thing that I do every morning is look in the mirror. I'll tell myself, 'Look at your skin. Look at your teeth and your smile. You are beautiful.'” At first, they may seem the simple ritual of a woman before her reflection. Yet in truth, they are the echo of an ancient practice—the act of reclaiming one’s worth in a world that has long sought to strip it away. For to call oneself beautiful in the face of doubt and scorn is not vanity, but victory.

This teaching speaks to the sacred power of self-love. The mirror, so often an enemy, becomes for Diop an altar of strength. Where many have been taught to see only flaws, she chooses instead to see blessing: the skin, rich with history and pride; the teeth, a symbol of health and resilience; the smile, the visible light of the soul. By naming her own beauty each morning, she arms herself against the voices of a world that too often confuses difference with defect.

The ancients themselves practiced such affirmations, though by other names. Warriors would anoint themselves before battle, not merely with oils, but with words of courage. Kings and queens were reminded by their attendants of their lineage and power before stepping forth into the court. The poet Sappho, in her verses, reminded her companions that beauty is not found only in outward adornment but in the radiance of spirit. So too does Diop remind herself daily that her value is not dictated by the gaze of others, but by the truth she speaks to herself.

Her ritual finds its origin in struggle. Khoudia Diop, once mocked for the darkness of her skin, turned ridicule into defiance and defiance into triumph. Where once she may have been told she did not fit the world’s narrow standards, she chose to define beauty on her own terms. Her daily practice is not trivial—it is resistance, it is healing, it is rebirth every morning. To say “you are beautiful” is to silence centuries of voices that said otherwise, and to declare to future generations that their worth too is unshakable.

History provides us with a mirror of this truth in the life of Sojourner Truth, the abolitionist and women’s rights advocate. Standing before audiences who doubted her worth as both a woman and a Black woman, she proclaimed, “Ain’t I a woman?” Her words were not a question but an affirmation, a demand that others recognize the beauty, dignity, and strength already present within her. Just as Sojourner spoke to the world, Diop speaks first to herself, making the mirror her witness.

The lesson here is clear: speak truth to yourself before the world speaks lies to you. If you do not affirm your worth, the voices of doubt will rise stronger. In practice, this means beginning each day not with comparison or judgment, but with gratitude and recognition: see the strength in your body, the warmth in your smile, the endurance in your spirit. Tell yourself you are worthy, and the world cannot easily shake you.

For beauty, as Diop shows us, is not a measure given from without but a power claimed from within. It is not dependent on the fleeting fashions of society, but on the unchanging truth that each soul carries a light, and each face is worthy of honor. The ritual of affirmation is not vanity but wisdom, the same wisdom that guided saints, warriors, and prophets who reminded themselves daily of who they were before stepping into the trials of the world.

So let these words echo as teaching: stand before your reflection and bless yourself. Speak aloud your worth. Praise the skin, the smile, the being that carries you through the world. For when you begin your day with such truth, you walk armored in self-love, radiant with unshakable beauty. And the world, seeing that light, will not only behold it but may also learn to reflect it back.