The other day, my yoga instructor told a story that made me think of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the mirror.”
Upon hearing both, I’m reminded of how much our outlook shapes our reality.
The story went like this: two dogs walked into a room filled with mirrors. One was a happy dog and he loved the room because in it, he found a bunch of other happy dogs. The other dog was a grumpy dog and he walked out of the room angry because in it, he found only growling, angry dogs staring back at him.
What I took away from the story was this simple truth:
What we put out into the universe largely influences the way we see and experience our lives and the world around us.
You get what you give.
When you offer favors, insight, compassion, support and happiness, you often get those back in return.
When you give the world, and others, blame, and anger, you get that back. When you judge others, you put them on the defensive making them more likely to judge you.
Isn’t it obvious that when you smile at a stranger, they’re a lot more likely to smile back than if you’d frowned?
“If you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself a make a change.” – Michael Jackson
