Who owns your ego?

How many of you follow the advice of women magazines and leave post-it notes on your mirrors and doors to remind you that you are beautiful, strong and to have a good day? I'm curious on what the impact on your life is. Do you repeat this mantra on the way to the subway?

Or do the sketchy construction workers whistling and hissing after you suffice as an ego boost? Speaking to the latter, I would have to say that in the moment it makes me quite uncomfortable and the attention is unwanted, however, if they don't say anything you know you look like death...
But, do you tell yourself "self, you look like death today, you should probably spare the rest of humanity and stay inside" Or do you wait for one of your girlfriends to say "oh no, you look tired" before you cry and commit yourself to hibernation? No matter how much male attention women receive it's the women in our life that validate our beauty.

It raises the standard because women know what other women can do to improve appearances. Take for example female facial hair (thank goodness I was spared *knock on wood), some people bleach, wax, thread, or shave (YIKES) and guess who pointed this out to them ... no not their boyfriends, their eye brow technician! She carefully finishes your eyebrows and looks at you and says "lip too?" At this point you're probably humiliated and commit to spending 10 more dollars for a lip treatment.

Women criticize each other, nothing new, right? But more than this, our distinct sense of beauty standards also makes men subconsciously dress, act and react to please women.

Exhibit A: Boy goes to work. He typically wears slacks a white button down shirt and a tie, nothing fancy just an iteration of his standard interview get-up. Boy meets great looking, well dressed girl... The next day you can find him dressed to kill looking as though he fell out of a GQ magazine.

Exhibit B: Boy hates beer, he typically gets something fruity and pink when he goes out. His friends make fun of him for it, but he doesn't really care. Boy takes out girl and girl orders a Bud Light. Boy begrudgingly asks for two and sips the beer while trying to maintain his gag reflex.

Exhibit C: Boy dates girl. Girl cheats on boy. Boy commits himself to a life of never trusting women and sleeps around to avoid emotional connections. He becomes 45 unmarried and his hair line starts to recede as he still hits on 20 somethings.

Ladies, I think we have an unproclaimed power on our hands... Since men don't critique other men, we fill this void and can pretty much take credit for confidence and egos of the straight men in the world. Just so my male readers don't have a heart attack, reader beware!!! Once you have an impact on a man, the ever popular "can't change a man" comes into play. So, use your power wisely, but don't miss out on the rare chance to change his ways!