Consciously looking at our self is looking at the reflection or our true being in the mirror of life. 

We always have the choice to see the truth in it or not. Watching in the mirror is done by free will and is not always pleasing ones eye or mind. We can't neglect, that what we live in is not a creation of our selves. We always have a choice to recognize why we decided - consciously or unconsciously - for the experience of that special situation. With looking backwards in our life it all makes sense. Just imagine if you'd known before, you would have lost the biggest lesson or chance of your lifetime!