Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.
One of the observations that I am constantly making is that I can only see myself through others, my habits and nature.
We never get to see ourselves in this existence. We are always looking out, sometimes looking inward although never at ourselves. Therefore we only see ourselves through the reflection of others. How others react and respond to us provides us with a better understanding of who we are.
Nature also provides us this mirror. When we engage with the natural environment we are presented with a reflection of our character and condition. How we react or respond to the challenges of the natural world shows us our limitations or strengths respectively. Have you ever done something difficult in the out of doors and gotten frustrated? You may have through your frustration was with the conditions or the difficulty. I would argue our frustration is with ourselves for not being more prepared. Getting mad or angry at the environment only shows our unwillingness to accept our condition and instead project it on to the environment as if it was at fault.
Everyone and everything I engage with is a mirror to my condition. When I see love and joy in others, I have to ask, “where is that in me?” Therefore…when I see hate in others, I have to ask myself, “where is that in me?”