REFLECTION

​"The way we experience the world around us is a direct reflection of the world within us." — Gabrielle Bernstein

A number of years ago I visited the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, (MASS MoCa) and there were a number of art pieces framed under glass, and I was struck by how it was impossible to look at the art without seeing a reflection of yourself staring back at you.  The experience was quite profound.

Since then I’ve been known to often tell people that I’m jus a mirror; that whatever you see in me is merely a reflection of what you see in yourself.  We can’t help but view the world in this way, from the lens of our assumptions, assumptions that have  much more to do with ourselves than they will ever have to do with others.

One question that comes from this reflection is this:
 
If there’s someone I’m judging harshly, or perhaps someone that I simply don’t “like,” the question becomes what is it about me that I don’t like that causes me to have these thoughts?
 
Beyond this interpretation there’s another kind of reflection.  I also like to tell folks that I’m a moon.  What I mean by this is that while I’m not the source of Light, I do seek opportunities every day to reflect light into the lives of others who might otherwise be in darkness.  I may not shine as bright as the sun, but I am overjoyed to be a humble moon.

A question that comes from this reflection is this:
 
What opportunities can I find today to be someone else’s moon, to be a good influence, a worthy reflection of the Light?
 
The last reflection on The Magic Word Refection is something my mentor taught me.  He told me that the common expression that says “experience is the best teacher” is simply not true.  He said that it’s evaluated experience that is the best teacher, stating that that we must take time to reflect on  our experiences to turn experience into valuable insight. In sort, we can only learn lessons from our past when we take the time to study it.
 
REFLECTION
What can you learn from my experiences today?  What can you glean from today so that tomorrow you will be truly well poised to not just be a day older, but a day wiser too?