Life Is A Window

I heard this metaphor recently and it added some interesting perspective, so I wanted to share it with you. As we go about our lives we’re constantly observing things around us. We're making sense of things for ourselves and understanding how others relate with different environments. It mostly entails us looking out at what’s around us and finding meaning in it. 

This is kind of like looking out a window. Through your own two eyes, from the perspective of where your feet are planted, you can see the world for how it exists around you. You can find reasons that justify why people made certain decisions. You can attribute a cause and effect to the circumstances you encounter to note the relationship things have to each other.

But if you look really closely into the window, what do you actually see? You see your own reflection. Your silhouette is reflected back in everything you see on the other side of the window. You are always in the picture but until you draw your attention to it, you’re pretty unlikely to see it.

This applies for the conclusions you take from what you see. Your perception of things is not simply as they are, it’s always how you see it. A part of you is always contributing your beliefs, assumptions, expectations and biases to the situation you’re observing. As long as it’s you looking through the window, your reflection will always be integrated into what you’re seeing.

This is why self-awareness is so critical. Once you realize that there’s a part of you in your perception of everything else, you can start gaining insights into that part of you that you may not have had access to before. Getting curious about the conclusions you draw gives you the space to consider how the end results are more a reflection of you and not the situation. And the great part is, once you see this truth, you can’t unsee it. You will carry this awareness into your interactions and be able to show up with more humility.

So to wrap this up, let me ask you this question - Is there a part of you you’ve been unwilling to see in the things around you? That thing that’s causing you anxiety, it’s unfair, or it’s beyond your control… Is it possible you’re playing a role in making it so?

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