The World is a Mirror: You Hate in Others What You Hate in Yourself

I was randomly watching an episode of “The Property Brothers”, a show about twins who help families renovate, sell and buy a new house. I had a visceral reaction to the couple in this one episode. The father was cheap, a whiner and super negative while the wife was a demanding individual with zero sense of money and taste. 

I especially hated the husband and I quickly realized it was because it reminded me of the old me, the prior to 2020 me. The scarcity mindset and negative attitude. An inability to handle stress and high pressure situations and setbacks. 

I also hated the guy's intense focus on saving money to the detriment of the mental health of his family. And to the point of trying to save money that he even did his own home repairs that damaged the house and put his family and home at fire risk just to save a few bucks. Short sighted. And his unwillingness to be flexible and figure out new creative ways of getting what he wanted. I mean you can’t find a way to make an additional $60 bucks a month for the mortgage for your dream house?? And you live in America which is full of opportunities??

And even worse he was a complainer and never took responsibility for anything. He would blame others when things did not go smoothly. 

He also never showed an ounce of gratitude when the Property brothers successfully sold their house for above asking price and got a deal for them in their new house. The dad was a complete loser who will go nowhere in life. 

Most people are like that dad. I was like that dad and I am still angry at myself for living my life like that for so long. Think of what I would have accomplished by now if I had figured this out earlier. I was my own worst enemy because of this mindset. 

But the point about this is that your reactions to people and situations are a mirror to yourself. You hate certain people and situations because they reflect your own values. Or more likely they reflect the things you hate in yourself. 

Understand this, step back and try to examine these feelings a bit more and maybe you will have a chance to fix it.