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We all take time out at some point to consider our reflections on life. Not only our own lives. That is when we discover everything is a reflection of something else.
Reflection is a personal, internal process that is difficult to observe objectively. It can be biased by self-interest and the reflector may construct a self-serving story rather than an accurate representation of reality
Philosophical reflection refers to the careful examination of one’s thoughts, feelings, actions and life experiences in order to gain deeper understanding and wisdom.
It involves stepping back to consider the big picture by looking at situations from different perspectives.
Is Everything a Reflection?
It would appear everything is a reflection. These are all reflections on life.
Our mood is a reflection of the way we feel. It is our way of sending a message without actually saying anything.
A camera will reflect a scene as nature presents it in a split second of time, and produce an image of the scene to prove it.
The state of our bank account may reflect on good luck, bad luck or how hard we worked last month. It is a barometer.
Living thirty kilometres North of Chiang Mai city, I am blessed with beautiful rural surroundings. Farms, villages, forest, mountains and rivers embrace me.
My camera and I captured the walk one morning. There was a fine reflection in the water, as I reflected on a question posed to me a while ago.
‘You walk for an hour every morning, and the only thing you change slightly is the route you take. Don’t you ever get bored with seeing the same things every day?’
On Reflection, a Simple Question became Complex
On the face of it, it was a simple question. A complex question when I wondered what the person who asked it was thinking. Sensibly, I resisted the urge to reply, and allowed my brain to assess the thought behind it.
This was a person I had known, or thought I had known, for some time. At that moment I realised that our relationship was on a more superficial level than I had previously thought. We had always communicated one-dimensionally, where food is food, and beer is beer.
We never spent long hours together. I was always happy in his company. I could relax and did not think too much.
So, there were mutual benefits.
Shortwave or Longwave?
We were clearly not on the same wavelength when it came to observation through sight, smell, feeling and sound. Whatever wavelength, it was certaunly not long.
It never occurred to me that anyone could take a walk along the same path every day and imagine that the experience would be the same each time. The beauty of life is that nothing is ever the same and nothing can ever be repeated.
Every sunrise and every sunset are unique just as our DNA is. I could walk the same walk every day for a hundred years, and it would never be the same. Would I ever meet the same people in the same place wearing the same clothes, or hear the same birds singing?
The morning light, mist, sun, reflections and shadows would never be the same. I would never know whether the dogs would want to walk with me or go their own way. Would the water in the river be up, running fast or just a meandering trickle? If I didn’t take my camera would I miss the shot of a lifetime?
I Couldn’t Answer the Question
It was then I knew I could not answer his question – ‘Don’t you ever get bored with seeing the same things every day?’ except to say simply – ‘No’.
Ever since I have walked alone. Preferring nature as my only company. I do not ever want to say, ‘What’s that beautiful smell?’ and hear the answer, ‘What smell?’
I don’t want to think too much when I am walking. I silence the mind and let the walking do the thinking.
Final Thought
When will my reflection show
Songwriters: Zippel David Joel / Wilder Matthew
Who I am inside?
Let Christna Aguillera give you her stunning rendition of reflections from the movie Mulan.
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