One reflective question on many minds at the close of every year is: Do others see me the same way I see myself?
The performer affectionately known as The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, reminded us in his famous song “Man in the Mirror;” that in order to affect change both intrapersonally and interpersonally, we have to take a look in the mirror to see what’s actually being reflected in our local and global worlds.
We can’t always easily recognize the signature behaviors, nuances, or idiosyncrasies that we’ve comfortably adopted as our “normal behaviors;” but are in fact the same behaviors that drive other people crazy and as far away from us as they can get.
So, during the transition from an old year to a new year, it might be healthy to take hard looks in the mirror when we are alone so that we can self-reflect and self-correct; and, to also take additional hard looks by asking those around us to share their mirror images of us so that we can see how we’re perceived in the eyes of others.
It’s been said that “perception is reality.”
One targeted New Year’s Resolution may be to keep our perceptions of ourselves attuned and aligned with the perceptions others have of us by asking a few trusted individuals to tell us how we are viewed by the world.
Asking individuals who will tell us what we need to hear vs. what we may want to hear can help us continue to pursue current and positive behaviors so those shared reflected perceptions are positive, current, and fruitful.
Sharon M. Biggs, M.A., is a wife, mother, and 21st Century educational leader who serves as Co-Chair & President of Lifeline Foundation, Inc. This 23-year educator is also Founder, Editor, and Chief Writer of LifelineExtensions.blog. View Sharon's other published works at http://www.examiner.com/.
Contact Sharon directly for more information: sharonbiggs@mylifelinefoundation.org
"Children are the globe's most precious commodity."
(Terence H. Biggs, Jr. ~ 2009)
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