Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...
What do you see looking back at you when you stand in front of the mirror and look deeply at your reflection? Do you see all of your beautiful pieces that others celebrate and admire about you? …or do you see all of the imperfections, labels, and judgements you and others assigned to you so many years ago?
It is a tremendous accomplishment to be your authentic self in a world that is trying to make you be someone or something other than who you truly are. I encourage you to “unbecome” all the things that were never meant for you. Peel away the layers of the things life made you feel you had to own because you or others convinced yourself you weren’t good enough, worthy enough, or capable enough. I’m here to remind you that you are, always have been, and always will be. …WORTHY of whatever the true authentic YOU looks and feels like when you stand in front of the mirror and really see the truth of the you that’s looking back at you. Look hard. Look far. Look deep. Look within. Look past the noise of the world and all of the stories you continue to hear; the stories you continue to tell yourself, and still believe to be true. Keep looking until you find yourself. You may not see it right away. That’s the thing…It’s not what you look at that really matters at all. It’s what you see…
You want grace? You must first, give it. You want acceptance? Offer it to others. You want compassion? Have empathy for someone you may not think deserves it. When we judge another; criticize, blame, and condemn, we aren’t accepting of our true selves either.
Look deeply into those you cast your eyes upon. I assure you, you will see your true self looking back at you and reflecting all that you see, and don’t see, in yourself. Keep looking. The light we shine onto others is the light that will forever and always, continue to shine back upon us. Shine it brightly. Shine it true. Shine it authentically and with empathy and compassion. Remind others of how worthy they are of showing up in the world as they truly are. In doing so, you will give yourself permission to do exactly the same.
Maybe the next time you truly look in the mirror, you will see yourself as you were meant to. Maybe the next time you cast your gaze upon another, you will see bits and pieces of your true self and your exquisite soul. Maybe you’ll see the things that you need to lean into and let go of. The most beautiful thing is when we can genuinely see ourselves in another. When we can take time to really listen and understand someone else’s story, it’s almost impossible not to love something about them. Often times, you may even start to recognize them because they start to look familiar. They start to look a lot like you…
