True reflections
Often it is beneficial to look at our lives objectively by stepping outside of ourselves. This can lead to the surprising realisation that nothing reflects who we really are or the things we want to achieve. We can see it all as moving pictures and empty dialogue and feel completely disconnected from it. Birthday milestones are typical instigators of reflection, prompting us to assess and reassess. We begin to see the relationship between our thoughts and the mirror-like effect they cast over our lives. Our thoughts hold a mirror to our inner worlds, reflecting our beliefs in the external world.
The fairytale of Snow white and the seven dwarfs is an example of how our thoughts can colour our experience. Snow white’s evil stepmother frequently asks the mirror on the wall if she is the fairest of them all and the mirror consistently answers no. Why? The mirror is simply doing what it is designed to do, reflecting an image that stands before it. The evil stepmother never receives a different answer because her inner world remains unchanged. Only until she transforms her thoughts will her reflection follow suit.
Snow white’s evil stepmother, lived in a world where she felt constantly threatened and vulnerable. She grasped at power like she had none, seeing it as external and doing all she could to acquire it. Snow white, on the other hand, lived in world where the birds are always singing, surrounded by people who love her and are eager to keep her safe. These two characters share the same world, but think differently and therefore their experience is not the same.
In other words, doing the same thing, thinking the same thing, over and over again, produces the same results. Many of us engage in the same behaviour and expect things to turn out differently. Our thoughts are invariably reflecting the same images day in, day out. Sometimes these reflections become images we grow attached to and believe in. We trust the reflection and mistake it for ourselves. We get comfortable and adopt this life as the one we actually want. But if you can design a life that you are less than happy with, surely you can design one you desire?
So how do we begin to combat the thoughts that lead us to experiencing the same results? By being aware of them and consciously choosing other thoughts. Thinking differently, will eventually, with conscious effort and action, lead to different experiences.
Ultimately we all strive for the same things. Like Snow white and her stepmother we all live in the same world but all our realities differ greatly depending on our thoughts. The contradiction is we lead separate lives but essentially we are all connected.
We look at other people, and wonder why some seem to flow through life without a worry in the world. We witness the fearless who jump in and those who sit on the sideline, waiting. Waiting for the right circumstances and right timing might seem judicious but can be harmful to potential as well. There is a slight difference between those who appear to be winning in life and those who are not and it is found in the individual thought process.
The mirror effect our thoughts have in our lives helps us to see where we would like the reflection to change. Maybe you want to embark on study or a new career, whatever the dream; it begins with your thoughts surrounding it.
If we are unhappy or dissatisfied with the reflection we see, we are always able to change it. If we look around and see reflections of situations and circumstances we no longer want to experience, we can apply consciousness to our thoughts and be proactive, rather than reactive.
It is impossible to control what happens in life but you can take charge of your thoughts about it. Making the link between the inner and outer world, can offer assistance in seeing where your thoughts have contributed to your experience. Like Snow white’s stepmother, we can change our reflection in the external world by paying close attention to our inner world; as without, so within.
