Spiritual echos

Here's a very interesting passage from the book Small Graces by Kent Nerburn:

I try always to look upon the world and the people I meet as echoes of my spirit. I know that if I am speaking with deceit, deceit will be echoed back to me . . . Likewise, if I find that I am constantly cheerful, full of brightness and hope, or deeply contemplative in the presence of a particular person, I know I am in the presence of a gracious spirit, and I am echoing the gift that is being given to me. It is as if the lesson of the echo contains the secret to understanding the space between us all.

We can practice this thought by noticing what our echo says to the world, and what others echo back to us. Of course, it requires observer consciousness to be able to do this and we cultivate observer consciousness by meditating. We will only be able to notice our echo if we're able to notice our thoughts and to accept them without judgment.