Mirror, Mirror

HomeBlogMirror, Mirror

We all are quite familiar with the fairy tale, Snow White (if for some reason you aren’t, I apologize.  You might want to google it and then come back to this).

In the story, Snow White’s evil step-mother has a magic mirror that she relies upon to affirm her superiority in all things great, powerful and beautiful.

How often do we, too, turn to the outside world to be our mirror and show us things about ourselves that we deeply want and need to believe are true?

We may surround ourselves with others, put ourselves in situations and make choices that will portray us in our best light and make it comfortable and possible for us to feel good about ourselves.

Now what happens, like in Snow White, when what that mirror shows us is something we don’t want to see or are resistant to believing?  What do we do then?

This is, perhaps, one of the best questions we can ask.  When we see something reflected back that we don’t like, what do we do?

The answer to this can be a starting point from which we can begin to unravel and see with clarity the places where we hold ourselves back from being at our best and greatest.

As a coach, I have worked to support others in answering this question for themselves and to glean and work with what is illuminated for the purpose of betterment.

I have, myself, also worked very hard, over the years, towards self-improvement, and in the past few days, I have had the chance to really dig into this particular question. It has provided me the opportunity to uncover beliefs, patterns and points at which I have allowed myself to go “off road” and turn away from the me I want to be, the true person I am.

My own mirror has given me powerful reflections of where I have been undervaluing myself and other (both people and situations) and how by doing this time and again in my life, I have created an environment and way of being where I haven’t had to show up fully and most brilliantly.

I do want to point out something very important here, and that is these findings and realizations are not something for which I am choosing to feel sorry, shameful or guilty.  They are, quite clearly for me, an opportunity to change.  This time is an exciting chance to get to the root of what I have done, believed and followed that has kept me smaller and less engaged in my life and in the true service I came here to perform.

What I see is that by “stepping off” my path and out of character, I have found my heart and have come aware of what I love most.  I have begun to arrive at a place of acceptance and understanding of things about myself and others that I have never acknowledged.

By observing what I’m not, I have been able to better define who I am.  By witnessing myself with more clarity, I can view others as they truly are, as well.

I have also learned what I am uncomfortably willing to do for myself and others to make room for necessary change and growth.  To step away from what is known in order to be whole, healthy and authentic.  To be able to move forward into the light and not hide in the shadows of half-truths, limiting beliefs and behaviors.  To be able to look, squarely, at a version of myself who is not who I came here to be and to find excitement in what I can embrace, instead.

I feel these new depths that I’ve been reaching through looking honestly and without reservation and resistance into my MIRROR ON THE WALL have allowed me to wake up to a new recognition of truth and possibility.

How amazing is it that the lessons we repeat over and over can bring us to a new launching point; an awareness that the many years of training have delivered us here, in this moment, to purposefully create the intentional life that we have always wanted for ourselves.

It’s like an Olympian athlete who has trained his/her whole life for this one event. In a single moment of choice, looking back on all that has been learned and accomplished, NOW is the time to apply the experiences and to do so fully engaged, awake and conscious, putting everything on the line and being in it to win it!

What I have learned is this, in order to effectively use our mirror and understand that the world out there is a mere reflection of our inner world, we must, first, be comfortable and ready to receive whatever it is that is reflected back to us. We must, then, know that it’s not ultimately about what it shows us, it’s about what we choose to do with what we see that makes all the difference.

Wishing you the Courage to Grow Intentionally!
♥ Traci