It is always about me. Every circumstance I find myself in is a direct result of a choice I have made. Somewhere along my journey, I planted the seeds of the tree under which I now sit. No blame. No excuses. All that I am in this very moment is all me. And whether that tree is a shelter providing shade or a lightning rod courting destruction it has been planted and nurtured under my own hand.
Individual choice is what distinguishes one life uniquely from another. No one and no thing has any power or influence over our lives unless we grant it. And when we yield that power it is much like tying self to a railroad track, asking that person or thing to come by periodically to ensure the knots are still tight and make certain the train will be on time.
"It is the same with us. Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me." ~ I Corinthians 13:12
We are made in the physical image of our Creator and in the earth plane we exist on His potter's wheel of perfecting. Here, we are pulled, prodded and pruned into His spiritual image. And we will each be held in the flame that is His perfect love. God is the timeless and great I Am forever seeing in us His intended vision at Creation. Not unlike a mother who, no matter what, only ever sees the perfect babe placed in her arms upon that earth light awakening. But we must choose to be still before the great mirror of transformation.
"Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes, being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way." ~ James Baraz
So why do we resist facing the mirror and flee the perfecting flame of God? There is but one reason we cannot sit with the reflection of self. Fear. Fear that we may have to make adjustments. Fear that we may be called to work harder while reaching higher. Fear that we may have to release something or someone. Fear that we may have to be uncomfortable. And fear that we may have to be alone for a time, God forbid.
"It takes courage to endure the sharp pains of self discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives." ~ Marianne Williamson
Being self-possessed is far more fruitful than being self-deceived. My grandmother would say though our path becomes clearer, life is not any easier as we get older. The truths that arise from our current circumstances are all present to help us see our reflection in the mirror undimmed. As we submit to learning and growing, embracing the lessons along the way the fog lifts and we graduate to new levels and begin to vibrate at a higher frequency.
Learn to sit in acceptance of what life is in the given moment. It really is just what it is. We must develop the stamina to watch, listen, and let it teach us. Awareness of the alarms alerting us to red flags in our lives is imperative and helps us thwart impending disaster. When we neglect doing this and our lives implode upon us we are neither clueless, blameless, nor are we helpless. We have simply made a choice concerning the self planted seeds growing in the garden of our life. Rest assured we will reap all we have sown. Awakening to this fact is the only way we can minimize or eliminate suffering and live with any semblance of concrete sanity.
Deflection vs. Reflection
Deflection comes in many forms and each individual uses it as a means of coping in varying ways. Bottom line, we use deflection as a means of control. Controlling the environments of the situations we find ourselves in soon becomes an addiction. And as with any addiction, this control spreads into the lives of those closest to us and they soon become co-dependent victims. We develop a feverish commitment to avoiding uncomfortable silences and difficult but necessary conversations and decisions that stand to teach us the most about ourselves. Understand that turning away from the truths about our lives being reflected back at us breeds dis-ease. And soon everyone around us is just as sick. Deflection cripples us to the point of paralysis. Only reflection gives birth to new levels of insight and awareness. Though the amount of energy expended on both tends to be the same, the pay off over time is vastly different and can cost us our peace of mind.
"If the image one holds of one's self contains elements that don't square with reality, one is best advised to let go of them, however difficult that may be." ~ Sidney Poitier
What truths in the mirror of self have you chosen to deflect?
Are you living in the space of self-possession or self-deception?
What are the realities of the circumstances in your life attempting to teach you?
