Reflections

There are places inside that we choose not to go for we fear looking in our own eyes. The mere reflection of ourselves is a startling compromise and illustrates to many our abdication of responsibility for first examining and then preparing ourselves to make choices about who we are and what we want to be. Why have we placed such an important aspect of our lives in the hands of others to create an image of ourselves that we can’t visualize for ourselves and must instead rely on the perceptions of others. We ought to look deep within ourselves, for the voice of who we really are is never disguised by the garments we wear. The idea of who we are and who we choose to be is never available at the store and the reality is that life will eventually come to a close without asking our permission to do so. The idea of immortality, the idea of mortality period, causes us to reflect on our personal and collective history each day, with the classic line of Dr. Benjamin Mays, “Young men may die, but old men must,” as a backdrop. Here we are looking in the mirror. Can we see who we choose to be? Can we take the actions required to reflect the character flaws that we see within ourselves? Who is peeking at me when I am looking at myself?

Following the map of our entire lives and looking back at reflections of what we wore and choosing to peer inside our observer self. Many of us choose not to have an observer self so we don’t have any idea of what we look like to those looking in at us. We have no idea of who we are in front of others with our nervous twitches and hair twisting that we are oblivious to. We are at times uncomfortable in our own skin. It is here that vices begin to grow. There are those who pick up cigarettes, others that pick up alcohol, and those who will become entrapped by prescription and illicit drugs — and the picture gets bleaker and bleaker. But the illusion is to make ourselves feel good from the inside out, so that we can look into ourselves. We can speak to ourselves and acknowledge those feelings and emotions that dictate the course of our days and our lives.  But we shouldn’t pay for a feeling. We should generate it from within through the spiritual function of oneness. The spiritual function of understanding that the voice of truth, peace and love should paint a picture inside our minds and into our reality of who we are.

But these masks are not the only ones that we see. We have the audacity to deny and reject the effects of the smiles and the frowns that we pass out. The attitudes of disgust as we look at others with envy and jealousy that is manifested in our facial manipulations. These faces too, implore us not to permit or accept these immature attitudes and then the most self-destructive, self-defeating and self-deceiving idea — the ego. The ego allows us to look at ourselves and lie to ourselves, and deceive ourselves regarding the fundamental value of knowing who we are. It plays to all the things that we know. It listens to us and works on our self-esteem so that in order to get a self-esteem boost we have to reduce others. Why would we choose to harm others while benefitting ourselves, for when we look inside our minds we find that the human capacity to reason fails itself, for it only thinks of itself — and it thinks of self often.

It is hear too that we see ourselves looking in the mirror, bastardizing our characterizations of ourselves in long speeches about the importance of who we are. The unrecognized facts and factors that make us more superior than others. We cast lies and spill them on ourselves, and tell ourselves how good we look. And then we begin to seek out others who will reflect those images and ideas, even if we have to pay prices and sacrifices to be around others who choose to see what we do in the mirror.

But truth, love and honesty are not housed within lies told by those who do not look in the mirror and see our souls.

We must not abdicate our souls to others. We must not mirror the reflection of just music and entertainment in this life. Instead, we should look inside and find the serenity and the peace in the function of truth. So that when see and look into the mirror, we take our time. Not because we are vain, but because we are choosing to find peace without straining ourselves to do it and truth with the understanding that loving one’s self leads to a wellspring where truth gives rise to love, peace and serenity.

There is always a higher power driving our transformation if we allow it and look at ourselves. So that the voice we hear is uttered in truth and understanidng and love. Look in the mirror each day for 10 minutes and paste your goals of who you are and who you choose to be on it. Write down the charcterisitics that need to be grown and groomed and speak to yourself in the affirmatory. It will go like this: “It is with these eyes that I see who am and what I must transform into to serve a higher good each day, so that my relection to others is the best that truth and peace and love have to give the world. So I will illustrate the character of understanding and love by being patient with my own development and with my relentless refusal to judge others as well as my acceptance that in love all things are perfect. And understanding and forgiveness are the practices of those who hear the voice of love and are appreciating with patience  that to grow for the better in love and honesty eliminates the crutch and the need to deceive myself with those characteristics that are not the best reflection of who I am in the world. And so it is, and I speak in truth and I want to only illuminate that light of love in the world and how others will see me. I, too, will see myself in truth.”

And so there it is — the affirmation used often or the reflection of me to the world should only be that which carries a positive reflection of what godliness would be if they looked into my mind and my soul could speak to them and say exactly what love would have to say to itself and be a reflection of what love is to others.

Do you love yourself? Is love reflected in yourself and your actions in the world? Will the world respect you and love you back? Love yourself and others.