Mirror Reflections
What are our mirror reflections trying to teach us -
by Phylameans lila Desy
People whose personalities and actions tend to push our buttons are generally our greatest teachers. These individuals serve as our mirrors and teach us what needs to be revealed about ourselves. Seeing what we don't like in others helps us look deeper inside ourselves for similar traits and challenges that need healing, balancing or changing.
When someone is first asked to understand that an irritating person is merely offering him a mirror image of himself, he will strongly resist the idea. Rather, he will argue that he is not the angry, violent, depressed, guilt-ridden, critical or complainer person that his mirror/teacher is reflecting. The problem lies with the other person, right?
Wrong, not even by a long shot. It would be convenient if we could always place the blame on the other person, but this is not always easy. First ask yourself " If the problem truly is the other fellow's and not my pwn then why does being around that person affect me so negatively?"
Examples of what out mirror reflections may reflect:
OUR SHORT COMINGS
Because character flaws, weaknesses, etc are more easily seen in others than in oursleves our mirrors help us to be able to see our short comings more clearly.
MAGNIFIED PICTURES
Mirroring is often magnified to enhance getting our attention. What see is enhanced to look larger than life so we won't overlook the message, making sure we get the BIG PICTURE.
For example: Although you are not even close to being the overbearing and critical type of character that your mirror is reflecting, seeing this behavior in your mirror will help you see how you nit-picking habits are not serving you.
REPRESSED EMOTIONS
our mirror will often reflect emotions that we have comfortably repressed over time. Seeing someone else display unleashed similar emotions may very well touch on our stuffed feelings to help bring them to the surface for balancing/healing.
Our family, friends and co-workers don't recognise the mirroring roles they are acting out for us at a conscious level. Nonetheless, it is no coincidence that we are conjoined within our family units and our relationships to learn from one another. Our family members often play major roles of mirroring for us. This is because its more difficult for us to run and hide from them. Besides avoiding our mirrors is non productive because sooner of later, a bigger mirror will appear to present, perhaps in a different way, exactly what you are trying to avoid.
Ultimately by avoiding a particular person we hope that our lives will be less stressful, but it doesn't necessarily work out that way. Why do you think some people tend to attract partners with similar issues (alcoholics, abusers, cheaters etc) repeatedly?
If we succeed in getting away from a person without learning what we need to know from that relationship we can expect to meet upon another person who will very soon reflect that same image upon us.
Ahhhh... now a second opportunity will surface for us to take inventory of our issues. And if not then, a third, and so forth until we get the BIG PICTURE and begin the process of change/acceptance.
When we are confronted with a personality that we find bothersome or uncomfortable to be around it can be a challenge to comprehend that it is our grand opportunity to learn about ourselves. By shifting our perspectives and attempting to understand what our teachers are showing us in their mirror reflections we can begin to take baby steps toward accepting or healing those wounded fragmented parts within ourselves. As we learn what we need to do and adjust our lives, as we will always attract new mirror images for us to look at as we progress.
We also serve as mirrors for others without consciously realising it. We are both students and teachers in this life. Knowing this makes me wonder what type of lessons I am offering others by my actions each day. But that is the flip side of the mirroring concept. For now I'm trying to focus on my own reflections and what the people in my current circumstances are trying to teach me
When someone is first asked to understand that an irritating person is merely offering him a mirror image of himself, he will strongly resist the idea. Rather, he will argue that he is not the angry, violent, depressed, guilt-ridden, critical or complainer person that his mirror/teacher is reflecting. The problem lies with the other person, right?
Wrong, not even by a long shot. It would be convenient if we could always place the blame on the other person, but this is not always easy. First ask yourself " If the problem truly is the other fellow's and not my pwn then why does being around that person affect me so negatively?"
Examples of what out mirror reflections may reflect:
OUR SHORT COMINGS
Because character flaws, weaknesses, etc are more easily seen in others than in oursleves our mirrors help us to be able to see our short comings more clearly.
MAGNIFIED PICTURES
Mirroring is often magnified to enhance getting our attention. What see is enhanced to look larger than life so we won't overlook the message, making sure we get the BIG PICTURE.
For example: Although you are not even close to being the overbearing and critical type of character that your mirror is reflecting, seeing this behavior in your mirror will help you see how you nit-picking habits are not serving you.
REPRESSED EMOTIONS
our mirror will often reflect emotions that we have comfortably repressed over time. Seeing someone else display unleashed similar emotions may very well touch on our stuffed feelings to help bring them to the surface for balancing/healing.
Our family, friends and co-workers don't recognise the mirroring roles they are acting out for us at a conscious level. Nonetheless, it is no coincidence that we are conjoined within our family units and our relationships to learn from one another. Our family members often play major roles of mirroring for us. This is because its more difficult for us to run and hide from them. Besides avoiding our mirrors is non productive because sooner of later, a bigger mirror will appear to present, perhaps in a different way, exactly what you are trying to avoid.
Ultimately by avoiding a particular person we hope that our lives will be less stressful, but it doesn't necessarily work out that way. Why do you think some people tend to attract partners with similar issues (alcoholics, abusers, cheaters etc) repeatedly?
If we succeed in getting away from a person without learning what we need to know from that relationship we can expect to meet upon another person who will very soon reflect that same image upon us.
Ahhhh... now a second opportunity will surface for us to take inventory of our issues. And if not then, a third, and so forth until we get the BIG PICTURE and begin the process of change/acceptance.
When we are confronted with a personality that we find bothersome or uncomfortable to be around it can be a challenge to comprehend that it is our grand opportunity to learn about ourselves. By shifting our perspectives and attempting to understand what our teachers are showing us in their mirror reflections we can begin to take baby steps toward accepting or healing those wounded fragmented parts within ourselves. As we learn what we need to do and adjust our lives, as we will always attract new mirror images for us to look at as we progress.
We also serve as mirrors for others without consciously realising it. We are both students and teachers in this life. Knowing this makes me wonder what type of lessons I am offering others by my actions each day. But that is the flip side of the mirroring concept. For now I'm trying to focus on my own reflections and what the people in my current circumstances are trying to teach me
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