Michael Jackson said it best in his song Man In The Mirror. I’m gonna make a change. I’m starting with the man in the mirror. Someone probably told you to take a good hard look at yourself at some point in your life. Change has to start by looking inward. Have a readiness to gaze in the mirror and soberly scrutinize yourself to begin the process of change.
It is easy to sit back and complain about the way things are. Easy to go on blaming others for what has happened. You have to take personal responsibility to do something different if you want things to be different. The first step is to look in the mirror.
Far too often, people take to their soapbox and grandstand the issues. They complain about injustice and point at the wrongs others are doing and yet never look in the mirror to examine themselves. Furthermore, no time or effort goes toward fixing the issues, and instead, they just call attention to them. Words without action are meaningless.
When you disagree with what is happening, do you stand up for what you believe in? If you see something you believe is wrong, do you just complain, or do you do something about it? When something isn’t working, do you complain, or do you pivot to another plan?
When you want something to be different, it has to start inside. Until you can sit comfortably looking at yourself in the mirror, holding your own gaze, you can’t do anything that will lead to lasting change. The only thing we can control is the actions of the person you see in the mirror.
