This time of year brings change including the weather. 

 

The seasons are moving from summer to autumn with time to check out what to wear as temperatures drop bit by bit. This can include a quick glance in a mirror or a longer study to check out what the outfit looked like. 

 

Is it a true mirror? Let’s see. 

 

Some days I grab my favorite things to wear out of the closet and barely glance at a mirror as I know what the outcome will look like. 

 

How great is that? 

 

Beautiful and great, actually. 

Important things

For me, it means that it gives me more time to do the more important things of my day. 

 

Morning meditation and finding a rhythm during the day. 

Looking up and paying attention to the little things that make me smile. 

Sounds like a good groove. 

Did things change again? 

Yes, by golly, they did.

 

What I noticed one day has created a pause for many months. 

 

Here is what happened. 

 

One day I was going about my business, actually working from home and popping from one time on my daily calendar to another.

 

As this was going on I walked by a large mirror on the wall and stopped cold. 

 

I had looked up and, are you ready? 

Wait for it….

 

Did not recognize the person

I did not recognize the person looking back at me. 

 

Now, how unexpected was this? 

 

Completely. Totally. 

 

It rocked me back on my heels and I looked into that mirror seeking for one piece of me that I could remember. 

 

No, I did not have sudden amnesia.  

It was as if my bone structure or eyes or something had moved to the side and there, my friends, was a new person. 

 

I was not alarmed. 

 

It was a moment of curiosity. 

 

The comfy sweater I happened to have on that day was one I owned for many years and felt like a warm blanket every time I put it on. 

 

Why the sudden response? 

 

I do not have the answer and yet here is what I have learned in this area. 

A quest

At times, looking in the mirror has become a quest to find out who is looking back at me, and now I am speaking about more than the physical appearance. 

 

Let me know if this has happened to you. 

 

Recently I heard that this has been known to happen to others. 

 

A-ha! 

Maybe I am not the only one! 

Here goes.

When getting a bit older and looking in a mirror, the true self can be seen. 

 

What if a picture from 20 years ago is pulled out? 

M’hm. That view is quite different and yet, can be as much fun to see what differences are found, as well. 

 

Did you have a photo suddenly jump into your mind?  I sure did and it’s a lovely time of my life, so I am good with what is solidly in place. 

 

Okay, now back to the mirrors.

 

I then remembered more about a true self that can be seen in a mirror. 

 

This came from Caroline McHugh The Art of Being Yourself. She talks about many things, including what looking in a true mirror can remind you of. 

Finding the ways

Finding the many ways that a person sees themselves. 

 

Looking at what is seen in a true mirror is different from a mirror used every day. 

I remember this one more thing.

Who are you and what does that mean? 

 

Oh. Is that all? 

What’s next then?

 

Let’s go back to when I passed by the mirror a while ago.

This is what it did for me after I glanced up that day. 

 

Turns out there were important things going on.

 

I was seeing a piece of this self in the mirror that day. 

The pause that came next brought smiles. 

 

Hello, I now say to that person in the mirror.

 

How are you? Welcome to this realm. 

 

I am getting to know the levels that I am becoming. 

More about empathy

More about empathy, compassion and what am I going to do to help someone. 

 

Less about using energy on things beyond my control. 

 

What would you like to learn about with yourself?   

 

I, for one, look forward to what I become next. 

Yes, even if it makes me pause every once in a while. 

 

Who wants to join me?