Reflections in the store window, your shadow on a sunny day, and the vision in someone else’s eyes are all a representation of you. We get up in the morning and look into the mirror to make sure that our face is clean, our hair is in place, and our clothes are straight. We are ready for the day. At the end of the day, we are in the mirror again brushing our teeth, combing our hair, and removing our makeup. Have you ever stopped and taken a long, honest assessment of the person looking back at you? Have you ever asked about the character, purpose, or belief of that person? If you were totally honest, would you like the person looking back at you?
Sometimes we have a false perception of ourselves. We see a great person, the life of the party, the positive, happy individual, the entertainer, the intellectual, the holy one, and the best all-around. What we fail to see is the negative, angry, jealous, bitter, judgemental, lonely, mean-spirited, unkind person. When you look into the mirror, is there a person for Monday through Saturday and another persona for Sunday? Is there a person for the public eye and a person for the private side of life? Do you really know and understand the person in the mirror?
We have encountered people who are smooth talkers and very charming. We have met people who seem stiff in personality, and we have also entertained people who have suspect motives. As an educator, I believe that first impressions are often memorable, but not always correct. The most articulate may not share in your beliefs, and the spouter of scripture is not necessarily the godliest. The loudest person may be posturing to hide feelings, and the quietest may be your biggest supporter. These are all outward perceptions and appearances. How do you share the real inward person in the mirror?
So often we get caught up in the role(s) that we are supposed to play for this particular social occasion, business meeting, or position (title) that we surrender a little bit of ourselves consistently. Because this has been an accepted norm for so long, we lose sight of who we are without realizing that a piece of us is missing. During this quarantined season, we have cause to pause and reevaluate. When we meet friends, bosses, business partners, and church leaders, should there be a different persona for each group or for different days of the week, or do we stay true to self? When you look at the person in the mirror, can you rest in knowing who you are and whose you are? Will you stand and let others see the real you and not conform to the ways of the world?
“To thine on self be true.” — Shakespeare
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Coffee Reflections 