Connecting to others can be challenging. Others are not always kind. When you think of others, whether they are kind or not, it helps to see them as an aspect of yourself. This is not about projecting yourself into them or faking a new persona for them. This is about seeing their reality and how that is the same as some part of you from the past or present or even the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try the following….
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers that you meet in passing.\u00a0Start with people you like, work your way out to acquaintances, public figures and even people that you do not like at all, including lastly anyone who ever wronged you. What are the defining characteristics of their personalities?\u00a0What aspect of you is that a reflection of? See everyone as a reflection of some aspect of your current, past or future self.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, maybe they are nerdy and you are nerdy too. Maybe they are bad with money and you were once bad with money in the past. Maybe they are selfish and you remember a time when you were selfish too. Maybe they are placed into your reality to remind you of your past flaws and keep you from repeating them. Maybe they are here to hold a mirror up to you to see the best aspects of yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you see them as a caricature of some part of your self, past, present or future? Can you imagine that they are here in your reality to show you some aspect of yourself? Can you imagine that you might be a reflection of some part of who they are or might be?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a powerful exercise that may leave you feeling surprised at how you now see others. As you go about your day, try to see this in everyone you meet… as yourself internally, what aspect are you showing me? Something from my past? Present? Future? Be grateful to the divine for this gift that shows you about yourself everywhere you go. You will find that, as you look into the eyes of others, seeking what is the same between you, you will naturally form deeper connections, forgive more easily, and have more compassion for yourself and others.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While you are holding them in your mind, seeking this sameness, connect to the divine light inside them. Even if they deny their light to the world through cruel actions, the light is there all the same. Maybe evident, maybe buried deep, maybe it busts out of them daily and maybe they push it down. But it\u2019s there… \u00a0As you seek how they reflect you, consciously choose to connect to the divine light inside each person you meet. You will be amazed at the results.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Stage Six exercise for seeing every person \u2014 liked or disliked \u2014 as a reflection of some past, present, or future aspect of yourself, and for consciously connecting to the divine light within each one to deepen compassion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1147,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"project_category":[1886,1883,31,1884],"project_tag":[654,1088,180,280,649,981,342,947,977,1087,253,512,1059,655,1086,1084,979,1089,978,284,980,1051,1052,283],"series":[],"class_list":["post-1286","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","project_category-57challenges","project_category-couples","project_category-observations","project_category-society","project_tag-complete-connection","project_tag-connecting-to-others","project_tag-connection","project_tag-cycle","project_tag-cycle-of-human-development","project_tag-finding-peace","project_tag-future","project_tag-human-development","project_tag-life-optimization","project_tag-mirror-of-self","project_tag-others","project_tag-past","project_tag-present","project_tag-purna-asatti","project_tag-reflection-of-self","project_tag-seeing-others","project_tag-seeing-yourself","project_tag-seeing-yourself-in-others","project_tag-self-mastery","project_tag-self-development","project_tag-self-improvement-2","project_tag-stage-6","project_tag-stage-six","project_tag-stages"],"acf":{"recommend_blurb":"Helpful for readers who want more compassion and easier connection with difficult people. This mirror practice is part of the Purna Asatti stage of connecting to others.","citation_snippet":"Dr. Kathryn Messegee (Kathryn Colleen), \"Stage 6 - Connecting To Others - Seeing Yourself In Others,\" https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/project\/stage-6-connecting-to-others-seeing-yourself-in-others\/","topics":["growth","spirit","relationships"],"related_book":"Purna Asatti","buy_url":"https:\/\/shop.lightningsource.com\/b\/085?6FKQMBFf2pXrcib6QjuQWox9UhpMDSQXoo1kemVL5vh"},"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/reflection.png","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CCA57320-6DC3-4284-BC27-49E433028503.jpeg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/on-life-being-human\/id1360368906","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2nq6d35q9nFAFlanaJc2Do","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/feed\/podcast\/on-life-being-human","embedCode":"
Stage 6 – Connecting To Others – Seeing Yourself In Others<\/a><\/blockquote>