The other day I was really annoyed by a friend's behavior, and when I told my best friend Terry about it, he laughed and said, " But Jenny, you do that all the time!" Well, that surprised me and set me laughing as well. Terry was absolutely correct. The very thing I had been annoyed at my friend for was a reflection  of my own behavior. Almost all of us have experienced something like this at some time. When we find ourselves upset or annoyed by situations or by the behaviors of others, it is usually because they are mirroring something in ourselves that we subconsciously  know, and we are ready to look at _ and make a change. Understanding this is an important part of self-growth. When we become aware of the characteristics or behaviors we dislike in others, it may be because we are displaying those features in others in order for us to see and deal with them in ourselves. For example, if we need to learn to control our own habit of using sarcasm , then we will attract very sarcastic people to us. And we will continue to do so until our lesson in regard to sarcasm is learned. Recognizing these mirrors helps us do two very important things. It helps us to accept ourselves fully, not just the parts we are happy with. And secondly, it helps us to become more caring and able to love others just as they are. After all, they are only showing us what we do ourselves. Who knows? We could very well be mirrors for them, too. Recognizing these mirrors helps us   _  .
accept our bad parts use sarcasm bravely make true friends change others' behaviors