When most people think of a mirror, they associate it with vanity, or some special kind of glass used to check out your appearance and make sure everything is in place. While that is certainly a trait of most mirrors, let's not forget that there is a deeper layer to the mystery of the mirror. Besides being a way to see your own beauty, it is also a metaphor for a way of seeing your entire life! The universe is wise and particularly honest. It is a mirror all unto itself. We'll start with the idea that we all attract to us the people, situations, and circumstances that reflect our most deep-rooted fears, beliefs, hopes, and dreams. Knowing that, you can see very clearly how your entire world is a mirror of YOU!! Everywhere you look, you see your own reflection. It is in your face 24/7. From your job situations, to your money challenges, to your most intimate (or not so intimate) relationships, you are always looking at yourself. So, let that marinate for a second as you allow your mind to wander into all of the things you face and deal with on a daily basis. Now that you understand another level of the mirror, you can no longer blame anyone or anything else for what happens in your life. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself so that you stay empowered to change it! Whenever you see something occurring in your life that you don't like, ask yourself how the situation is a reflection of you. are you seeing what you fear or judge? Are you seeing what you feel you are missing? Or, are you simply seeng yourself reflected at you by someone who shares the same traits? In any case, just reflecting on these questions will help you to gain some clarity within the situation and help you learn more about yourself. Some people say "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." While this is true, remember that the teacher is always there. You become the ready student, and you will see everything clearly.
Now, I'm not trying to get religious on you, but the other day, I was listening to a talk radio program where the speaker was offering a new perspective on what Jesus was saying when he asked his followers to “turn the other cheek” when they encounter injustice or negative situations and people. I found it very interesting, and knowing what I know about our natural ability to create our own life experiences, I have a feeling that this is really what Jesus was trying to teach.
Basically, what the speaker was conveying to the audience is that when we are asked to turn the other cheek, we are not necessarily expected to be passive in any situation, or even to simply refrain from violence. What we are being asked to do is to turn our attention away from the negative influence which would probably begin to boil up inside of us, and choose thoughts that feel better to us so that we maintain our connection with our source.
Now, this is why I really believe that this was the real message. We live in a universe where God, or Divine Energy responds directly to our desires, fears, and dreams and brings similar experiences into our lives as a reflection of what we truly believe about ourselves and our world, just so we can grow and evolve from those points of reference. When we experience things that appear negative to us or gives us a negative feeling, it is because we are not in alignment with what we truly want to come to pass in our lives. So, in order to become more in sync with what we desire, we must then turn the other cheek and focus our attention on something that will bring us out of that negative feeling place.
Does it make sense to you that whenever you are focused on negativity you seem to always get more of it? A bad day gets worse and when it rains it pours, right? Well, there is a reason for that. God will always give you what you ask for! The problem comes when we are not aware that every breath, every word we speak, and every thought we think and feel is a prayer. God doesn’t just hear the things we get on our knees about. God hears and responds to everything.
So, when you are focusing your attention on how bad your day is going, you can only get more of that! When you focus on the lack of finances you have, how do you expect to create more money? When you are lamenting about how all men are dogs and women are gold diggers… how do you ever expect to attract the right person into your life? Huh?
It is so important that you realize where your power is. It is not in anything outside of you. It is within you. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is within you. That is not an understatement or even a metaphor. It is the absolute truth, and all religions teach that same principle in their own way. You must look inside of YOU for your answers and understand how God responds and you will really see miracles happen for you.
So, the next time you encounter injustice, a negative person, or a unfair situation, you remember to turn your cheek to the positive aspects of the situation, or turn your attention to something totally unrelated that will keep you in alignment with your source and make it easier for you to see your other blessings manifesting right before your eyes.
You may be thinking “Yeah but it’s not that easy to focus somewhere else when someone has done me wrong,” and I say I know that, but how much do you want real peace in your life and the ability to absolutely create what you really want in any situation? As always, it’s your choice. What’s it gonna be?
On June 22, I spoke at an eighth grade graduation in Brooklyn. The topic was “Think Outside the Box.” I wanted to show the kids that their thoughts and beliefs are mirrored in their lives, and that they should pay close attention to what they believe to be true. I started out by asking the crowd of 63 graduates and their guardians to raise their hands if they thought that it was difficult to get good grades or a good job. Most of the graduates raised their hands. Then I asked them if they thought that it was hard to make a lot of money. Once again, virtually all of the graduates-and their parents raised their hands. Then, I asked them to raise their hands if they believed they could be, do, and have any and everything they wanted in life.
I have to admit, it shocked me to see all of the graduates’ hands go up again. That’s when it dawned on me that many of us are on both sides of the box (inside and outside) when it comes to what we truly believe to be true about our place in the world and what we are capable of doing. How could these children, so bright and full of potential, believe that on one hand they are limited in their abilities, and then on the other hand believe that everything is open to them? Sounds like a recipe for confusion.
So, what does living on both sides of the box do to you? What it does is this: It causes you to become totally and unbelievably frustrated in your life when you feel like you’ve been praying for certain results only to feel like your prayers are sitting on the back burner. Some of us then decide that God has “other plans” for us. Others of us just shrug our shoulders and forget the true power that God gave you to create exactly what you want in your life!
Well, I have news for you. As I told those graduates the other day, God created an intelligent universe that acts as a very real mirror in response to your thoughts and beliefs. To put it simply, whether you believe you can, or you believe you can’t, you are right. In my experience, God does not make decisions on whether or not to grant you your most treasured prayers. When you ask, it is ALWAYS given. It is up to you to let your blessing in!
Now, you might be wondering how you let your blessings in. Well, the first place to start is by thinking outside of the box. Do not allow others to feed you your beliefs on any subject, especially when those beliefs teach you that you are limited in any way. You must understand your own power and your ability to create whatever you believe. That is why it is so important to pay close attention to what you choose to be true in your life.
The last thing is to realize that every
word, every thought, and every emotion is a prayer. Once you are clear on what you want, you must stay in line with that prayer. That means if you are praying for healing, don’t complain about how bad your chest hurts! That means you are mixing your signals. God already gave you healing, and now here you are asking for pain. Which one is it?
Make a commitment to stand outside the box, because the blessings that God has in store for you have no limits and can not be contained. When you get this right, every thing you could ever desire will be yours, and you will know that you have completely blown the lid off your box!
