Stillness on the water, Tucker Pond, Salisbury, NH, October 2006, HP Photosmart R817, Exposure 1/800 sec @ f4.5, ISO 100, no flash © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]I collect quotes. Don’t ask me why — I don’t know. Whenever I read something that affects me, or has a ring of truth (or irony, or humor), I tend to file it away. For later. For when my mind is elsewhere, and needs to be re-grounded.
Lately my mind has been everywhere, except here. That’s not good or bad, it just is.
But I came across this today, and just felt like sharing. The world is a reflection of us, and we of it. It is quite difficult at times to distinguish the reflection from the reflected. And so it should be. For there is no difference. Really, no separation between the two. We understand this when the water settles, and our mind is clear and free from distraction.
The world is your mirror.So, when all is said and done ... Here’s looking at you, kid. Take a gander in that mirror. You just might notice something you hadn’t seen before.
The good you find in others, is in you too.
The faults you find in others, are your faults as well.
After all, to recognize something you must know it.
The possibilities you see in others, are possible for you as well. The beauty you see around you, is your beauty. The world around you is a reflection, a mirror showing you the person you are.
To change your world, you must change yourself. To blame and complain will only make matters worse. Whatever you care about, is your responsibility. What you see in others, shows you yourself.
See the best in others, and you will be your best. Give to others, and you give to yourself. Appreciate beauty, and you will be beautiful. Admire creativity, and you will be creative.
Love, and you will be loved. Seek to understand, and you will be understood. Listen, and your voice will be heard. Teach, and you will learn.
-- Author unknown
3 comments:
Here is another quote below. It's connection with your quote is left as a exercise for the reader. Yes, I see a connection between the quotes, though not obvious to me at least.
"Nobody escapes being wounded. We all are wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually... How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?" ... What can make us into wounded healers? How can our wounds bring healing to others?
Anonymous:
I like that quote you offer, but can't do the exercise you left for the reader...too difficult. However, I Steve's quote is about seeing and reflections. Steve is suggesting something closer to this quote by Annie Dillard:
"It is ironic that the one thing that all religions recognize as separating us from our creator -- our very self-consciousness -- is also the one thing that divides us from our fellow creatures. It was a bitter birthday present from evolution, cutting us off at both ends."
Do you see that "reflections" are not the real thing - that they are impossible to have relationships with?
Anon-squared:
You guys/gals are good, and given my infrequent posts (scratch that, replace with 'virtually non-existant'), I really don't deserve your thoughtful comments and additional quotes.
Anon1: I too failed the test for the reader, but also liked your quote. My first reaction helped me to realize my need to get over (scratch that, 'accept') the 'wounded' label. In fact, it might be easier now for me to make the connection between your quote and Anon2's quote: and that would be that our woundedness is in fact our own feeling of separateness.
And once we realize that fact, and come to accept its reality in this evolutionary ego-world of ours, we do in fact have the opportunity to transcend it.
'Transcend' as in include and go beyond, rather than deny, or repress, or pretend. And I suspect that part of that transcendence is precisely achieved through, or results in, a 'service to others'. Which of course might be born of a deep-seated feeling, intuition, or recognition that we are, in fact, not really separate at all.
And Anon2, yes I think your quote really does pull the rug out from under so many of our traditional religions, born first from spiritual insight, and then contorted and mangled by layers upon layers of human egos, such that it is now an incredible test for any reader to find their essence once again.
To do so, one must look straight through (scratch that, 'beyond') the words, to that focus point well behind the page, where the divine spark brings an intuitive knowing, and deep yearning, and subtle awareness worthy of further investigation.
And as for reflections and relationships, that too is an interesting point. Some would say that everything (scratch that 'every no-thing') in this world is interconnected and apart of the whole flux called life itself. And to that end, we are nothing but a constant relationship with every other no-thing around. The actions we take (or don't take) have an undeniable influence on it all.
But what of reflections? Those things that dance and weave precisely choreographed to our own movements. There is no dialog, no real interaction, except to learn something about ourselves. And in THAT way, to be able to influence (or accept) that which we call life.
While we are recognizing our interconnectedness, we are also uncovering a diagnostic tool to help us help all of it.
Thanks to both of you for giving me an excuse to take a moment to reflect once again. I will be back, more regularly, at some point.
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