Most ancient teachings refer to the mirror principle
I don't follow any specific religion, but I'm convinced they all provide at least some valuable lessons.
What's super interesting is that most holy books and ancient scriptures seem to agree on the principle that our life is a reflection of our inner world.
Here are the most obvious examples:
1. Bible (Christianity)
- Matthew 5:8: "You're blessed when you get your inside world, your mind and heart put right. Then you see God in the outside world".
- Proverbs 27:19: "As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart."
2. Dhammapada (Buddhism)
- Verse 1: "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become." - Buddha.
3. Qur'an (Islam)
- Surah Ar-Ra'd 13:11: "Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves".
4. Bhagavad Gita (Hinduism)
- Chapter 6, Verse 5: "One must lift oneself by one's own efforts and should not degrade oneself; for one's own self is one's friend, and one's own self is one's enemy."
All these spiritual teachings share a common message: what happens around us mirrors what's going on inside us - our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings.
Let's dive in.
Life is a mirror of what we think and believe
Most people think their problems come from outside conditions.
They try in vain to act on the world around them, hoping things will improve.
If they can't find a lasting love relationship, they think they didn't meet the right person.
If they struggle with money, they think it's because of the crisis, their industry, their skills, their job, their boss.
If they struggle with their business, they think it's due to the market, the industry, the competition, the customers, the economy.
If they feel insecure, they try to find external security by accumulating money, real estate, or constantly seeking approval and validation from others.
Here's the hard pill to swallow: our struggles and successes reflect what we hold in mind.
I personally struggle to find a smooth lasting love relationship. At a deeper level, I know it's not simply because "I didn't meet the right person yet".
It's because my thoughts and beliefs about love are not yet aligned with finding that relationship.
I am the blocker. No external circumstance is.
To unlock the love relationship I truly want, my thoughts have to be aligned with letting it "enter in my life". Otherwise, I may repeat my pattern.
That's how it works for every area of our lives where we struggle.
“You do not see the world as it is. You see it as you are.” - Anais Nin
You can't change yourself by altering the mirror you are looking into.
You must change first, and then the reflection will change.
Major problems are signals inviting us to change from within
"Life offers you feedback to the congruency of your thoughts, so you can take action to correct them." - Jay Rombach
“Think of the outer environment as a mirror of your inner environment. When you see something on the outside, such as an event or situation, look inside yourself for the reflection, the parallel, the connection.” Charlene Belitz and Meg Lundstrom.
Every major or recurring struggle we face is a reflection of our inner world.
It's a signal telling us it's time to reflect and make a shift within.
Imagine your life as a garden, with every challenge acting like a signpost, showing us which parts of ourselves need a little extra care and growth.
Money troubles are the signal that we need to align our thoughts and beliefs with prosperity.
Relationships struggles are opportunities to delve into our beliefs about love, respect, and self-worth.
They push us to question how we view ourselves and others, urging us to cultivate healthier, more supportive thoughts and behaviors.
Feeling insecure is a signal that we need to give ourselves security from within, not from material stuff or activities.
And so on.
You either understand the signal and make changes or repeat your pattern until you do.
Change from within: the cheat code to get what we want from life
When you're aware of the mirror principle, you stop wasting your time trying to change your environment and others.
It would be like trying to alter your reflect on the mirror. It doesn't work, and it's frustrating.
This is for me the ultimate cheat code of life: changing ourselves internally to unlock positive outcomes in the outer world.
"External progress requires inner growth" - Justin C. Scott.
There are several ways to create change within ourselves and grow as a person.
The most direct way is going to therapy.
I remember something my aunt told me: "Damien, if your therapy is working, you see change in your life. Seeing no change after a certain period of time may indicate that the therapy is not effective."
I couldn't agree more. And it fully confirms that our life reflects our inner world.
Since I started therapy 2.5 years ago, many positive changes have taken place in my life. And that's damn great.
Another way to change from within is to read non fiction books with the intention to grow on specific areas.
Non-fiction books act as mini-therapy sessions, and can lead to profound awareness and change.
Meditation is also a super powerful practice to create deep change from within. The major benefits are:
- Self-awareness
- Focus, concentration and mental clarity
- Emotional resilience and well-being
- Better physical health
- Develops our sense of interconnection
Also, there are psychedelics that are increasingly seen as powerful tools for enhancing self-awareness and improving mental health.
Big names like Harvard and Stanford have conducted groundbreaking research, highlighting the therapeutic potential of these substances. I'll explore this topic in 2024.
There are multiple ways of creating change within ourselves, the more we explore them, the more likely we are to get results.
I'm determined to explore all these ways the best I can.
Final word
"Reality is created by the mind, we can change our reality by changing our mind." - Plato.
"Our life is what our thoughts make it." - Marcus Aurelius.
"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes." - Gandhi.
The default reaction to obstacles is to blame them on external factors.
At the end of the day, these obstacles mirror what we need to change internally.
The obstacles are within. That's why the inner work is the most important work.
Life is a by-product of what we hold in mind. Our external conditions are a direct feedback of our internal world.
To unlock life-changing outcomes, let's do the inner work.
Let's change ourselves and stop trying to agitate our environment.
Thanks for reading.
Damien