What Does Your Reflection Say About You?

There's a belief I have come to accept and embrace and it is this...whatever you can see in someone else is something that exists within you.

Basically it means that if I see someone else's beauty and greatness, it is because I have beauty and greatness within me. Cool huh?!

Naturally that applies to "good" and "bad" qualities, everything from joy, passion and happiness to rude, insensitive and jealous behaviors. It's a really fascinating concept that I've recently learned. I understood it a little deeper today...

Today was a wonderful day. I spent the morning at a local church. I had intended to go to a church of religious science (go here to find out what that means) but ended up at a similar neighboring church. They both believe in similar doctrines and frankly any religion/spiritual practice absolutely fascinates me.

I've read and practiced a few different religions delving slightly into Buddhism (very briefly and I'm excited to learn more), Wicca and variations of Christianity. But every time I've gone a bit deeper into a certain faith, I've felt overwhelmed when I attended a service or a ceremony. I'm not entirely sure how to explain but I've felt such immense joy and love flow through that it overwhelmed and overtook my senses. I've often felt the same during yoga and meditation.

Because I haven't been able to channel those feelings or to stay centered when they occur, I've pulled away from the experiences. It's just been too much for to deal with. It feels a lot like an internal volcano exploding and billowing forth. I didn't know a damn thing about controlling the lava flow and although exhiliarating, it was too consuming for me and I couldn't experience it regularly.

For the first time I feel like I can contain that lava flow. I can stay centered and let the feelings pass in the middle of a service. Today I realized why that is true...in those religious services I came into the purest forms of love, joy and immense grattitude but until I could see and experience those feelings within myself I couldn't stay centered when I experienced them in outwardly.

I've tapped into those feelings of bliss inside myself when I'm not in church, yoga, meditation, etc so when I am in a service or a ceremony I recognize the feelings and I simply allow them to be. I'm not even sure that makes sense to anyone else but I understand it.

Just thought I'd share that with you..thanks for reading.

Til tomorrow...