Hey Everyone!!!
What a time this has been for us all. 2020 has been the most interesting year some of us have ever seen. So much has happened and it is far from over. Fall is upon us and I don’t know how it may feel for you, but a lot of us feel like time slid slowly along and flew swiftly at the exact same time! We were just in the month of March and welcoming Spring, now Fall is right HERE!
In any event, we can do something really helpful as we round out the last 4 months of the year. We can stop and view how much we’ve learned about ourselves up to this point. This will enable us to try our best to move with fluidity through the remainder of our time with 2020.
There is really only one way to engage in this type of reflection…let’s look in our rear view mirror…
These words- OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR- We have all seen them, but what do they mean? Why are those words there, and how can we apply them to our personal 2020 journey?? Here are some mirror mirror facts:
- The words actually appear as a warning on passenger side rear view mirrors
- The convex mirror used reflects a wider range for the driver to see what is behind on a smaller surface, hence the objects appear farther away than they actually are
- These mirrors providing a wider range are used to minimize the blind spot for drivers
- The rear view mirror on the driver side is mostly planar, the passenger side has the convex or curved mirror
Our personal rear view mirrors of life can be peered into to gain insight and determine what lies behind us and how it can help shape what lies before us.
- Warning Sign…The literal words on the mirror act as a warning...let’s start there. Warning of what exactly? They serve to remind or warn the driver that although the objects seem farther off, they are actually not. So…in our personal life, we can look back in our rear view at how we have handled these past few months, but most importantly, remember that they may appear far off but not really. We just mentioned that it seems like time has flown for some, but it has not. So if we are still feeling the bumps and potholes from March, we can give ourselves a break! We may think…it’s AUGUST, we SHOULD be over this by now. We should just accept the new normal and be okay, since it has been a few months. NO WAY!! Remember, whatever we see in our rear view is not that far off. It is closer than it appears. As we look back, let’s not create this idea that we should see drastic changes in our mind and thought processes from then to now…it has not been that long. We can give our minds a moment to wrap around all we are going through.
- Convex mirrors are used to literally create a wider range on a smaller surface. So…if we look back in our personal mirrors, we don’t have to be afraid of what we see. If we see pain, fear, hopeless thoughts, anger- whatever we may see, it is ours and we must own it. Sometimes we don’t look back because we worry about the amount of things we will discover. Each day we have been bombarded with more news stories, more numbers and statistics, and more new normal strategies. This is A LOT to see on our mirror. We also must look at our own feelings are reactions to these things. DAILY. They may be many, but it is OKAY. Our mind mirrors are designed to hold a varied amount of images so that we can cover more in less space. We can let our minds eye see all we have gone through, then openly and humbly own our feelings towards those things. We will then create a safe space to express the toll it has taken on us.
- Wide range…literally a driver wants a wider range of view to minimize blind spots as much as possible. How can we benefit from our literal mirrors doing the same? Eliminating blind spots helps us minimize surprises. If we view our feelings from the past few months as valid and we accept the wide range of emotions we may have felt from March to now…we are allowing ourselves to feel. No doubt feelings that will very likely continue to come up in this National crisis. When we acknowledge the varied emotions and thoughts, we are giving ourselves permission to accept them. Blind spots of hidden thoughts that we can’t readily see will be reduced moving forward because we allowed ourselves to see the wide range and explore it.
- Lastly, the rear view mirror on the driver side is mostly planar, the passenger side has the convex mirror. The biggest takeaway from our rear view discussion is this: PERCEPTION OF THE IMAGES BEHIND US ARE DIFFERENT FROM EACH SEAT. Earlier we mentioned that the words are listed on the passenger side mirror. The mirror on the drivers side is mostly flat. The line of sight is close enough from the drivers seat to the mirror to project a more realistic image. The passenger side mirror is farther from the drivers eye line, thus must be curved to create a better view. So…in our personal life vehicle, we may have a passenger. Their view is not the same as ours. We may have loved ones and friends, or even strangers on social media who tell us how we SHOULD feel as we look back. What we SHOULD see as we reflect. BUT…their view is not ours. The perception is different because they are not driving our life vehicle…we are. The same way only one person can literally sit in the drivers seat, only one is operating your life…you. Others will mean well and may offer their best analysis of what we’ve gone through, but please remember, no one can see it like you do because they simply are not driving. We can allow ourselves to give our sincere perception of our rear view images and not feel guilty about how we feel. Our experience is authentically ours. As it should be.
As we continue on the this LifeTrip, it is my sincere hope that we all take time to look back and reflect on how far we’ve come. May we give those images life and breath and let them be what they are to us. This will prepare us a little more for what is to come and help us accept how to view those coming events.
2020 is not done with us yet! But guess what…we are not done with IT either!
Love and light,
Coach Teena Marie
