Seeing Yourself In Others

Hello and welcome.

I'd like to welcome you here.

My name is Tracy McCree,

And I'd like to welcome you into this guided meditation,

Guided visualization.

And we'll begin today with a few short quotes,

And then we'll go into a story,

A we'll head into the guided meditation.

So I invite you to just take a deep breath and settle in as I begin by reading the quotes.

And the first is,

Your outer world is a reflection of your inner world.

And that's by T.

Harve Eker.

And the second quote is,

We don't see things as they are,

We see them as we are.

And that's by Anais Nin.

And I invite you to just think of these quotes as we head into the story.

And it's about a traveler and three reflections.

So it begins with a wary traveler,

And her name is Mira.

And she wandered into a village built around a single calm lake.

And the villagers told her about this lake and they said,

This lake never lies.

It shows you not who you are,

But what you bring.

So this made Mira curious.

And she approached the water.

And when she did,

She saw a Taoist elder sitting nearby.

And he said,

Still your breath,

A trembling surface reflects a trembling mind.

Mira looked into the lake,

But her image rippled and broke apart.

And then she wandered a little bit further down the lake.

And she saw a Sufi wanderer.

And he said,

Let life polish you.

Every irritation is a cloth on your heart.

Mira breathed and released her frustration.

With this,

The water cleared slightly.

And then she saw a Stoic guard.

And he said,

Remember,

The world mirrors your judgments.

Change the cause,

Not the reflection.

Mira softened her thoughts,

And the water became clear like glass.

Finally,

She was able to see herself not distorted,

Not divided,

Just whole.

So she whispered,

So the lake shows me me.

The elder smiled.

No,

It shows you what you are adding to the world.

And with this,

Mira left the village,

Carrying nothing but clarity.

And now I invite you to settle in.

And if you haven't already,

I invite you to find a very comfortable position.

You may sit or lie down,

Whatever feels good to you.

And I invite you to allow your mind to soften.

And if you haven't already,

To gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.

You can allow your hands to rest gently.

Palms facing up.

And allow your breath to settle into a natural rhythm.

Take a slow deep breath in.

Let it fill your lungs completely.

And exhale with a gentle sigh.

One more inhale like this deeply.

And release with a gentle sigh.

Allowing the muscles of your face to relax.

Your shoulders to soften.

Your jaw to soften.

And your body to just effortlessly let go.

Feel yourself landing fully in this moment.

Feel the presence of your own awareness.

Quiet,

Steady,

Spacious.

And notice the rise and fall of your breath.

Notice the subtle movements in your chest and belly.

Feel the smooth flow of air entering and leaving without effort.

And with each exhale,

Imagine your body melting a little deeper into relaxation.

Imagine the ground beneath you holding you with complete safety.

And now I invite you to gently bring your awareness to the idea that this world,

This life,

Is like a great play.

A beautiful unfolding story.

A divine stage where experiences appear so we can learn,

So we can grow,

And so we can remember who we are.

And in many wisdom traditions,

This illusion,

This grand play is called maya.

Not unreal,

But playful.

A shifting landscape shaped by our intentions,

Our perceptions,

And our inner world.

You are not just witnessing this play.

You are participating in it.

And more importantly,

You are helping write it.

You are the creator of your reality.

The painter of your inner landscape.

The author of your personal story.

Now very gently,

I invite you to bring to mind someone you have encountered recently.

And this person could be someone you love,

Someone you feel neutral about,

Or someone who brought up a challenge or a discomfort.

Whoever appears first is perfect.

And I invite you to imagine them sitting or standing a few feet in front of you,

Lovingly illuminated by a soft,

Warm light.

See their presence clearly.

Feel the energy of the encounter.

Whisper softly within your mind,

You are not here by chance.

Understand that every person you meet,

Whether for a moment or for a lifetime,

Is a mirror.

A reflection of something within you.

A messenger carrying a lesson or a memory,

A desire,

Or even an opportunity for growth.

You have called this person into your experience,

Consciously or unconsciously,

So you may see something more clearly.

So you may understand yourself more deeply.

In this play of life,

Nothing is random.

Encounters are invitations.

Connections are reflections.

Now let yourself notice what emotions arise as you look at this person.

Do you feel warmth?

Affection?

Curiosity?

Maybe discomfort?

Annoyance?

Admiration?

Whatever arises,

Allow it.

Let it be here without judgment.

Reassure yourself.

This emotion is not given to me by them.

It is awakened within me,

But it originates inside me.

This person,

This mirror,

Is simply reflecting something already present within your inner world.

A belief,

A fear,

A longing,

A memory,

Or a part of your own light.

Allow the emotion to speak to you.

You may imagine it whispering gently,

I am here because you are ready to see me.

And now I invite you to notice how this encounter,

This reflection,

Might be helping you grow.

Maybe it's teaching compassion,

Or maybe it's showing you a strength you didn't know you had.

Maybe it's revealing a wound ready to heal.

Maybe it's an awakening,

A desire,

Or a dream.

Whatever the lesson is,

Trust that it is perfectly timed.

You created this encounter for a reason.

And now I invite you to slowly let the image of the person dissolve into soft light,

And let that light gently flow back into your heart.

Bring your awareness inward,

And feel your own presence,

Your own consciousness,

Your own creative power.

Recognize that you are the source from which all these perceptions arise.

You are the one who interprets,

You are the one who chooses the meaning,

You are the one who decides how to grow from each encounter.

And now I invite you to take a deep breath in,

And feel the truth that you are the creator of your inner world.

You are shaping your experience through your awareness,

Through your intention,

Through the meanings you give.

Whisper inwardly,

I am the creator of my reality.

Everyone I meet is my mirror.

All emotions arise from within me.

Every encounter helps me grow.

I invite you to whisper that again,

Inwardly,

I am the creator of my reality.

Everyone I meet is my mirror.

All emotions arise from within me.

Every encounter helps me grow.

And let these truths settle into the deepest layers of your being.

Allow them to become a part of your knowing.

And now I invite you to bring your awareness slowly back to your breath,

Feeling the rise and fall once again.

Feeling the sensations of your body,

Resting peacefully,

Supported,

Grounded,

Safe.

And I invite you to slowly wiggle your fingers gently,

And your toes,

Reminding your body that you will soon return to the waking world.

And I invite you to take one final slow,

Expansive breath in,

And exhale fully,

Releasing any last tension.

And when you are ready,

I invite you to open your eyes softly,

Slowly,

Carrying with you the understanding that every encounter is meaningful.

Every person is a mirror,

And you are the conscious creator of your beautiful,

Unfolding life.

Thank you for spending this time with me,

This sacred time.

I appreciate you practicing with me.

May you go out into the world,

Out into the day with this remembrance of this,

And come back to it at any time that you need to remember.

Have a beautiful day,

And namaste.