I've had a few conversations recently about the gratitude I feel for the people in my life...the people around that inspire me, that encourage me, that make me laugh from my belly. The people that do the work, that speak their truth, that are willing to let go and change their path. The people that create community wherever they go, that follow their heart, that make everyone they encounter feel seen and heard.
And it has me reflecting on one of the greatest lessons I've learned in this life of mine: the idea that we are all mirrors for each other. We are only able to see the beauty in others because it also exists within us. We recognize it because it's familiar.
Often people come into our lives to serve as luminaries. They show us where we want to expand, what we are capable of.
Think of the people that you love the most. What do you admire about them? Their strength? You have that same courageous lion roaring in your heart. Their ability to love? You have the same warm energy swirling in your being. Their patience? You too have a seat of calm at your center. Their joy? Joy is your birthright. But here's the thing about the people we love. It's not always love and light and butterflies, am I right? There are inevitably things about them that trigger us, that push our buttons. And these parts are our teachers, too.
These are the things that we have not fully accepted in ourselves, and this is where our work lies. How can we see our triggers as our teachers? How can we embrace the not-so-pretty parts in order to practice full acceptance of ourselves and others?
In this way, the people around us serve to illuminate the path towards an open heart, and that is a beautiful gift. I hope that we can move forward with eyes and hearts open to the teachers and luminaries around us, and expand more fully into love.