1) The Importance of the "Before"

Compared to the average American woman, I'm a late bloomer when it comes to concealer. It was only a few months ago when I realized that a little well-placed concealer can do wonders. Ancient, yet never-seems-to-completely-fade acne scars? Invisible. Shaded circles under the eyes? Gone.

But like many good things in life, concealer comes with a small price. For those unfamiliar with the ritual, to apply concealer you dab a bit of it over the areas you want to cover before blending it in with a brush or your fingers. Seems tame enough.

However, in between your last dab and your first blend, there are two seconds where all your flaws have been highlighted. Your face is spotted with beige flags that resemble a modern woman's war paint. To achieve cosmetic perfection, we are forced to first acknowledge our imperfections.

This can be harmless enough when primping alone, but there's a split second sense of vulnerability that comes when having to do so in front of other women, or in the presence of a significant other. And what if the stakes were raised? A plastic surgery hopeful standing in front of a mirror as the doctor marks up her body with a Sharpie is unlikely to be at peak confidence. Ironically, that moment is part of the means to a confident end.

It's the importance of the "Before" picture in those makeover pieces in Cosmo and Teen Vogue, in a Proactiv commercial, or in any weight loss infomercial. The wow factor of the transformation would be lost if the dismal starting point was omitted.

This applies to fields outside of cosmetics, albeit more subtly. Asking for directions is admitting you don't quite know where you are. Getting a tutor acknowledges a weakness in that particular subject. Seeing a psychiatrist recognizes that you have issues you have to talk through. Overhauling the health care system is a nod to the fact that it was previously broken. (Starting a strategic thinking and writing blog...)

Rehab programs tell us that acceptance is the first step. In life this acceptance, however (in)significant, may be akin to hanging a sometimes painful "needs improvement" sign. But it's also a necessity in bettering ourselves. If we have no "Before," we lack the starting point, and often more importantly, the motivation to move forward.