How well have you aged? I’ll bet there are those who will have comments about that question. It’s quite obvious that as I look in a mirror and examine what I see that there are a number of changes that have taken place. It’s quite an experience to really examine your features in a mirror. Especially if you haven’t had a really close and concentrated look in a while.
However let’s move away from studying our physical features in a mirror and let’s take a look at another part of ourselves. Let’s look at our hearts. Let’s look at our attitudes. Let’s look at our feelings, our beliefs, our slant on things. What do you see as you look in the mirror of your life and really begin to see who you are, what you are and what you have become?
Looking in the mirror of self examination is not something that most of us do very well. We are really better at examining the flaws in others, whether they be of a physical nature or of a character nature. It is a trap that we all fall into in some way or another and to think otherwise is to distort reality. The reason we can easily identify the flaws in others is really quite simple. If we can focus on the flaws and weakness in others we don’t have to stop long enough to examine and deal with our own shortcomings.
You see when we look in the mirror of self examination and begin to see what we really are, many times we don’t fully like the image that’s portrayed. It’s flawed. There are weaknesses. The shortcomings are clear. The mirror of self examination is a perfect mirror that shows all. Nothing is left out or distorted. The mirror is perfect and we are imperfect. However the good news is that the imperfections can be changed and made better but it all begins with honestly looking and seeing ourselves. It begins with honest self examination.
Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic, in his book “Velvet Glove” tells about Zeng Shen. He was a man who was young enough to be Confucius' grandson, yet he won high praise from the old philosopher. One of the sayings for which Zeng Shen is famous goes something like this, “Every day I ask myself three questions. The first is, ‘Have I sinned in my thoughts and actions toward others?’ The second is, ‘Have I broken faith in any of my friendships?’ The third is, ‘Have I tried to teach anything to others I have not fully learned and understood myself?’”
If Zeng Shen asked himself these three questions every day, resolving to make no mistakes, then, young as he was, we can well understand why Confucius praised him. Not only is each of the three questions extremely important in itself, but the practice of examining one's own behavior every day is a habit that every one of us should cultivate.
As you look in the mirror and note your physical features take some time to examine those features that are of real importance; your heart features. As you do be reminded of the following words: God loves you just the way you are but loves you too much to let you stay the way you are.
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