May 21. 2026- Windows and mirrors

Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.

~Rumi

We perceive the world as it relates to us. If we would like to change our relationship with the world, isn’t it a lot easier to change one thing than it is to change everything? We are that one thing.

It’s great to have audacious dreams of reform, where we will be instrumental in changing the entire arc of human existence. We see inequality, injustice, or any other items that need fixing in this world, and we set out to fix them. That is not a bad thing, but we only have so much time, limited energy, and finite power. Might those resources be better used if we focus internally? Isn’t society just a collection of individuals? Can’t we have the greatest impact on society by reforming ourselves?

We can stare out the window all day long, pondering what we need to get out there and change. At some point, when the lighting is right, and if we care to notice, that window can become a mirror. We can start to realize that what we think we see out there is largely a reflection of ourselves.

It is good to look out the window to gain a broader perspective of the world around us, but our true power lies in what we see in the mirror. Let’s focus our efforts to promote change right there.