Three Steps

From the Golden Tarot, the Magician; from the Yantra Deck, Mirror:

          "What you think about you bring about. Your whole life is a manifestation of the thoughts that go on in your head." Rhonda Byrne, of The Secret fame, made a mint on these words. In some ways I agree with her; as the Dhammapada states, "Mind is the forerunner of all actions. All deeds are led by mind, created by mind." But what Byrne and others often fail to emphasize is that manifestation requires follow-through: inspiration, preparation and then application. I can be inspired to get in shape and prepare by joining a gym. But if I don't ever go to the gym (regardless of my positive thinking and affirmations), things will never change. The real magic comes from embracing all three steps. The Mirror yantra reminds me how I can trip myself up when I'm trying to create change. Caught in a cycle of judging other people, I forget to look at my own thoughts and actions. Yet these people (and my reactions to them) can clearly reflect where I'm stuck. If I will honestly acknowledge how I'm sabotaging my own progress, then I can begin moving forward.