A man entered a village and went to see the Sufi master, the wise old man of the village.

The visitor said, “I’m deciding whether I should move here or not. I’m wondering what kind of neighborhood this is. Can you tell me about the people here?”

The Sufi master said, “Tell me what kind of people lived where you came from.”

The visitor said, “Oh, they were highway robbers, cheats, and liars.”

The old Sufi master said, “You know, those are exactly the same kinds of people who live here.”

The visitor left the village and never came back. Half and hour later, another man entered the village. He sought out the Sufi master and said, “I’m thinking of moving here. Can you tell me what kind of people live here?”

Again the Sufi master said, “Tell me what kind of people lived where you came from.”

The visitor said, “Oh, they were the kindest, gentlest, most compassionate, loving people. I shall miss them terribly.”

The Sufi master said, “Those are exactly the kinds of people who live here too.”

This story reminds us that the traits we see most clearly in others exist most strongly in ourselves. When we can see into the mirror of relationship, then we can begin to see all of ourselves. At a deep level we need to recognize that we are not flawed simply because we have negative traits. No one has only positive traits. Recognizing that we have negative traits simply means that we are complete.

-Deepak Chopra
Synchro Destiny