September is Reflection with Martijn ten Kate

Timetable for the event;

18:00 - 18:30 : Welcome drinks and energy bites 18:30 - 18:40 : Introduction to CM, forced fellowship 18:40 - 18:50 : Meditation video 18:50 - 19:00 : Presentation The Usual 19:00 - 19:20 : Speaker 19:20 - 19:35 : Q&A 19:40 - 00:00 : Drinks & Snacks

Our theme for September is REFLECTION. It was selected by our Oklahoma City branch @CM_OklahomaCity and illustrated by Aditi Heins @aditi.designs.

Just like an echo is a reflection of a sound.. and that the lens of a camera focuses on the reflected light to take a photograph… our subconscious reflects our experiences to shape our thinking.

Without reflection, there can be no personal growth. Learning from our past brings more wisdom and happiness. But don’t allow self-knowledge to lead you to lock yourself up within yourself. Remember the Greek myth of Narciso, who fell in love with his own reflection in a pond of water.

Reflecting on difficult times can be painful, but also healing. When our Oklahoma City branch chose this topic, it mentioned a reflective pond located at the site of the 1995 attack, designed to help people reflect on how that tragic event changed their lives.

Reflecting on the world around us and following our curiosity adds intensity to our creative work. As William Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, the purpose of the performance is “.. offer nature a mirror in which virtue sees its own form.. “. Where George Bernard Shaw said, "You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.” (Though Bertolt Brecht rebuked: “Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.”).

Reflection turns our trauma and triumphs into lessons. This is how we can create a vision for a better future.