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We all reflect the world and are reflected back.
The more we seek this reflection from outside, the more distorted our own mirror becomes. If we ourselves are not clear, every angle reflected back upon us becomes distorted – distorted not only by the events, people, and surfaces we are bouncing off from, but distorted from the outset by the fact that what we are putting out is not steady, not contiguous, not clear.
By getting in touch with our core – through meditation, silence, and prayer – what we put out toward the world slowly starts to come into focus. The inside begins to match the outside. This is a process. Some days will have more clarity than others. This is neither good nor bad. It just is.
The longer we put off knowing our inner selves, the more we avoid looking in the mirror of practice, the more we will continue to try to know ourselves by seeking out reflections in the world. The overculture is happy to tell us how we should look, act, buy, and be. Our friends and family will come forth with their agendas. Whom do we believe?
We can learn to trust ourselves.
We can learn to become our own best mirror. In cultivating internal clarity, we see what is reflected back at us more clearly. We also reflect others in the clearest light we can.