Nugget # 11 Life is like a Mirror

“Life is like a mirror. If you frown at it, it frowns back. If you smile at it, it returns the greeting.” – Herbert Samuels

 If Life is like a mirror and we should smile at it if we want a smile back, let me ask you a question, who is the first person you see in the mirror? Yes, the answer is YOU. Now another qsn : How often do you truly smile at yourself in a genuine, warm way? I’m definitely not talking about narcissism here, just an honest self appreciation of our very person-hood.

If you are like the vast majority of us are, we very often forget to smile at ourselves. Let’s just take a peek into what really happens during our busy days : When our bodies are tired and screaming for rest, we quickly gulp down some black coffee and try to meet deadlines. When our stomach growls reminding us to eat, we just ask it to wait and we continue the task at hand. When our mind tells us that we are reaching our limit and need a vacation, instead of taking a break we shut ourselves up by looking at the pending items on our ‘To Do List’-  Let alone smiling …aren’t we honestly being downright cruel to ourselves?

To put it simply “Don’t we just take ourselves for granted sometimes? We would never treat another person in a similar manner,then why do we do this to ourselves? To quote Elizabeth Kubler Ross : “The ultimate lesson all of us have to learn is unconditional love, which includes not only others but ourselves as well.”

 As our title quote suggests, have we through our self negligent actions unknowingly been frowning at our person in the mirror ; at ourselves? Is there anyone else to blame for the frowns we get back? The frowns which come in the form of –aches and pains / ulcers and tumors /burn out and stress/ anger, frustration and hurt? Is it any reason that overwhelmed in life we sometimes go out into the world unknowingly bearing a grimace and wonder where are  all the friendly faces?And yet when we are kinder to ourselves- by taking good care of our health and nutrition/when we get sufficient rest & recreation/when we create opportunities to pursue our interests, aren’t we actually smiling at our person in the mirror ; at ourselves?And then doesn’t the world seem a much better place?

It all starts with us learning to love ourselves and listening to what the man in the mirror is telling us. Give him your keen attention, listen to what he is trying to tell you and you will have a wonderful best friend for life. Ignore, abuse or frown at him and he will become your worst enemy forever.

A smile is the lighting system of the face; cooling system of the heart and boosting system of the mind….so keep smiling!

 

NUGGET OF LIFE:  Smile and the world smiles with you but always remember to reserve your very best smile for the man in the mirror, as  he is the one who deserves it the most !

 

 Cheers,

Sparky Laurie

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