Reflection

Just back from a week in Colorado Springs with a fantastic group of people who I now have the pleasure to call friends. This band of unique souls was from all over the world, some of whom I had worked with in the past and some of whom we have just met. CCL packed our week full of face to face and side-by-side activities where we had the opportunity to give and receive feedback in multiple settings. I am taking away so many gifts from the week, but the greatest reflection is what was mirrored to me by our cohort.

The image that came to mind was the Funhouse Mirrors. Maybe you have been to a carnival and walked into a maze of mirrors, where you have a distorted view of yourself… fat, short, twisted and so on. I sensed that each one of us walked in with some fun-house reflections in our mind… those things we tell ourselves that keep us small, the stories we have come to believe, the agreements we have made around our sense of self.

This incredible group was a real set of mirrors for me, reminding me that; while still (and always) on the development journey, I am reflecting the man I want to be in the world. What a gift to be able to smash those distorted reflections that we live with and be surrounded by a group of accurate mirrors. My hope for all of us who were there is that we do not go back into the funhouse…  that we keep this perspective, this correct sense of power and value.

For those who happen to read this and have experienced CCL or an experience like this in the past, my hope for you is that you are reminded of your unique gifting and reflect on your own distorted reflections, limiting beliefs and mental agreements that are not serving you (and those around you) well – where and how are you playing small? How are you surrounding yourself with those that will help you smash those distorted images you hold to be true? How can you stand firm in your own sense of value and power while providing the gift of reflection to those in your community, family and workplace?

“As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”