Tuesday, December 3, 2024
We often look in the mirror and think we’re looking at ourselves, but that’s not even close. The real self is reflected in and through the people that are surrounding us. Our greatest reflections come out of those we find difficult, those we dismiss, and those we insult and call “idiots.”
I want you to take a close look at all of the people who you come into contact with on a daily basis. Some of them represent your deepest fears. Some of them represent your deepest desires. Some of them represent your deepest self-loathing. Some of them represent your deepest regrets. And some of them represent your deepest, past traumas.
If you want to know who you are, the mirror is not always good because it never reveals our blind spots. Look at your most difficult and intimate relationships first. You’ll see yourself staring into a real mirror. Notice what you hate about “another” is what you hate about yourself. Notice your envy is about your ego wanting something it cannot have.
Notice how everyone is teaching you about and introducing you to your deepest self. Can you believe you are such a kaleidoscope of complexities with a myriad of blind spots? It’s like looking into a hall of mirrors at the amusement park. Eventually, you’ll see all of those illusory “other” people are you in reflection. Make friends with everyone and you’ll integrate yourself and be empathic, sympathetic, and unconditionally loving. Don’t be repulsed by the reflection. It’s just you again and again. You just haven’t recognized yourself yet.