Carl Jung said, “We meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life.” I am consciously aware of this statement. Our behaviors, actions, thoughts and a million other accounts intercept, connecting you and me as a reflection of one another. Our paths intertwine, cross and perhaps for a millisecond, touch. Many spiritual practices express the need to empty the mind, the baggage of the past, as not to burden or share our toxic waste with another when we are in the worst possible space in our lives. This is always a challenge. It becomes even more so when you are trying to stay on a high vibration (of joy and optimism) and someone with a lower negative one comes into your space. What does one do in order not to let their issues become yours? How can we remain in a place of compassion and not carry their issues? How can we truly help another unless we see ourselves through their eyes?A wise friend several years ago shared a small lesson in how to deal with others. She said that we are all mirror images of one another reflecting the duality of darkness and light. The things that irritate me in someone else are usually things I need to look at and investigate in myself. If they didn't become magnified through those annoying moments then there is nothing that pertains to me. The ego takes a beating when we start to be honest with our darkness. Egotism rises to a level that can create psychological fragments causing illnesses, depression, and disorders. No one ever wants to admit their ugliness, which is not monstrous...it's part of our humanness teaching us through those emotions, actions, and lessons. The more we start digging in our psyche the angrier Ego gets. But, in order to see the true image in others with love (the good and the bad) one has to empty out the crap inside. It's a must! It's also work in progress. Just when you think you dealt with one trait...bang..another one comes up like a nasty pimple to the surface. My friend suggested to truly look at those qualities and imperfections with love. I believe in doing so we transcend to a place of oneness and unconditional acceptance. You don't have to condone or take on their issues and behavior, but you can understand that they are parts pertaining to each of us.We are all created in pure perfection of Divinity. There is no one less or more; exceptional or depleted; wiser or thoughtless. The spectrum of reality is all an illusion. We get to choose those parts in another, the disguises, that accommodate us well. I am learning that when someone's costumes and drama brings out the worst in me I need to truly listen to what is not being said. I try to remain kind as much as possible. I don't do confrontations. I refuse to be nasty, especially if that person is having a nasty moment. Two elevated-angry souls is a recipe for disaster. I often step back and watch the disguise peel off, the inner child evolving and standing naked, as the reality of what brought that moment hits the surface. I begin to see the reflection of me ego-less. I believe our oneness is what creates the whole of us...together in this small blue planet. I begin to witness life through a different lens. I am not having to remove myself completely or run from the situation. I can stand there in my nakedness as well and be vulnerable.We really are not what happens to us along the way. We are every decision we choose to believe and accept. We are unfinished compositions of art painted through love, strokes of genius, and divine colors of light. Let the light in you always reflect the light in me. I have to remember that we are always staring at mirrors of the inner child. And, what do children love more than anything? To love, laugh, and play! Love and light, my friends!