The Mirror Promise

When I was much younger I was in therapy with a terrific therapist named Dr. Aaron Lipton. Aaron taught at SUNY Stonybrook and has died quite a while ago now. On one particular occasion, I was sort of lamenting that I was having difficulty doing the things I had identified I wanted to do. Aaron was a gentle, kind and wise man. He also knew me so well because he truly loved the patients he saw in his practice. He said to me, "Crew, one of the things I love about you the most is that you ALWAYS keep your word to others. You do what you promise." "I wonder why you won't do the same thing for yourself that you do for everyone else."

Hm mmm. Of course, I found this concept quite interesting. I came up with an idea. I vowed that I would look into a mirror each morning and promise MYSELF something each day. Just like when I would promise others, I would be careful as to what I promised as I knew I had to complete what I had vowed to do. It was amazing what I could now accomplish because I had honored myself in this way. I found it so wonderful to look into that mirror each morning and look myself right in the eyes and know that what I promised to myself I would do. I added affirmations and kind loving words I would speak to myself and this made the experience even more positive and uplifting.

It is many years since that revelation came to me. I am still to this day engaging in this act of mirror promises to myself each morning. I have shared this story with many patients, clients and students over the years and I have had many of them tell me how this simple act has changed their lives in ways they never imagined it could. Now, I share it with you.