Full Body Lip Sync

A Blog Series Based on Songs

The Only Reflection I Can Change

Inspired by “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson

I must be in a Jackson frame of mind today, because Man in the Mirror hit me the way only certain songs do; the ones that manage to speak directly to the part of you that’s been sitting quietly, waiting to be acknowledged.

The world feels loud right now.
Chaotic.
Divided.
Overstimulated.
Everyone talking.
No one listening.

It’s so easy to get swept up in the noise: the opinions, the outrage, the commentary, the constant stream of everyone telling everyone else how to think, feel, act, vote, react, exist. And if I’m honest, I’ve let it get to me more times than I care to admit. I’ve let the negativity seep in. I’ve let the world’s tone affect my inner one.

But today, listening to Man in the Mirror, something softened in me. Something shifted.

Because the truth is simple:
I can’t change the world.
I can’t fix the meanness.
I can’t calm the chaos.
I can’t quiet everyone else’s reactions.

The only place I have any real influence…
is the reflection staring back at me.

And that realization, as basic as it sounds, is actually freeing.

When the world feels unsteady, I can choose to be steady.
When people are reactive, I can choose to ground myself.
When everything feels polarized, I can choose not to participate in the extremes.
When others lead with ego, I can lead with presence.
When anger floods the collective, I can choose not to absorb it.

My power isn’t “out there.”
It’s in here; in the small, private space only I can access.

The place where my choices are made.
The place where my self-talk lives.
The place where my vibration shifts.
The place where peace is built from the inside out.

And here’s the beautiful part:
When I change what’s happening in me, the world around me feels different; not because it changed, but because I did.

Man in the Mirror reminded me that the work isn’t about becoming perfect.
It’s about becoming intentional.
It’s about realizing that my edge can stay soft even when the world feels sharp.
It’s about choosing not to let the chaos steal my clarity.

We can’t fix humanity.
But we can fix the part of humanity we’re responsible for.

And sometimes that starts with one quiet moment in front of a mirror, asking,
“What energy am I bringing with me today?”

I don’t pretend to have it all figured out.
But I do know this:
If I keep tending to the person in the mirror, gently and consistently, the rest of my life tends to follow.

And yes — I will fully admit this reflection was accompanied by a dramatic, full-body lip‑sync to the chorus. There may or may not have been subtle choreography. Healing and clarity just land better when you’re giving your best living‑room music‑video performance.