“Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he senses it. But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people” -Albert Einstein
I heard someone say, “The person I see when I look into the mirror is not the person I thought I would become!” When you look into the mirror do you see the person you thought you would become? Do you see a person who you would want as a friend, a spouse, a child? Do you see a person that you could rely on in a time of need?
When we look into the mirror to see our physical appearance we do what we can to fix any imperfections; we comb our hair, wash our face, brush our teeth etc. I am not talking about the physical; I am talking about the person that lies beneath the exterior. We can all walk around with a mask on pretending that we have it all together, and that we don’t have any imperfections on the interior. However, in reality, we know that there are changes we all can make. The difficulty is that most people are actually afraid to take a close look at what lies beneath their physical appearance. They live their superficial lives and never reach their full potential.
When I started looking at myself in the mirror I saw a lot of things that I needed to work on. I had to come to the realization that my every action affects people in my life in either a positive or negative way. This was very painful to think about, especially when I think about how my children’s lives have been affected by not having a father while they were growing up. I myself grew up without a father, and I swore that I would never allow my children to go through the same thing. When I realized this, I decided that I had to do something, even from prison, to be a positive influence for my children.
I started by writing them and encouraging them to set goals for their future, and I always tell them that I believe in them and that I love them. I had to come to a point in my life where I knew I couldn’t change the past, but I could change my future and the effect I have on people who I come in contact with.
I would encourage everyone, including myself, to take a long hard look into the mirror and see where we can make some positive changes. In order to make these necessary changes, we will have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone and make a personal effort. When we do this, it will have a major impact, first noticed by ourselves, and then it will be noticed by our family and friends. Actually it will affect our community as a whole.
The next time you look in the mirror, ask yourself “is this the person I want to be?” If not, take the necessary steps, small as they may be, and make some changes. Everyone you come in contact with will be thankful that you had the courage to look into the mirror!
- Timm