I read a story today that reminded me of how our behavior shapes our environment.

A dog ran into a museum filled with mirrors. The walls, the ceiling, the doors and even the floors were made of mirrors and everywhere the dog looked, he saw his reflection.

It looked like a whole pack of dogs was surrounding him from all sides.

The dog snarled, bared his teeth and barked. All the reflections responded to the dog in the same way.

The dog barked louder—and the echo responded in kind.

The dog aggressively snapped at the reflections. The reflections snapped back.

The next morning, the museum security guards found the lifeless dog. 

He died fighting with his own reflections.

How you put yourself into the world is often reflected back at you.

If you are angry, aggressive, and unkind, you will find that others will reflect that behavior.

Conversely, if you are happy, pleasant, and willing to help others, you will find that others will reflect that.

NB: The author of the original story is unknown