What does a mirror tell you?

There was once a monk who would carry a mirror where ever he went. This action drew the attention of a particular priest who grew convinced the monk must be misguided.

A priest noticed this repeatedly and thought to himself, "This monk is so preoccupied with the way he looks he has to carry that mirror all the time. He should not worry about the way he looks on the outside, it's what's inside that counts." The priest felt it made sense to take steps to guide the monk to the light.

So, the priest went up to the monk and asked "Why do you always carry that mirror?" The priest thought for sure the monk's response would reveal misplaced ego and guilt.

The monk pulled the mirror from his bag and pointed it at the priest. Then he said, "I use it in times of trouble. I look into it and it shows me the source of my problems as well as the solution to my problems."

What does a mirror tell you?

"All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why."
-James Thurber