Ever have one of those weeks or months where you forget to look in the mirror? You don’t really think too much about it, but besides general grooming and taking selfies, it’s possible to go for long periods of time without actually looking in the mirror, if you know what I mean. Well, upon realizing this, I decided to schedule an hour out of my day just to stare for as long as possible into the mirror, just to see what there was to see. And you know what? Behind that mirror and every mirror you have ever seen is whole other world. Today, I’m going to tell you how I escaped through my bathroom mirror and into that alternate reality to find a better life.

Really, the physical aspects of this are far less complicated than they seem. Unless you have tried to do this before, you may not have noticed that mirrors have a little bit of give to them. This will take a good amount of strength, but you can do it. Just push on the point in the mirror where your hands meet and hold that force until you break through. It will come apart all at once, so prepare yourself. As the facade breaks down, continue pushing into the world until you hear a distinct popping noise. And that’s it. Easy.

Now, the next part may take you by surprise. While a mirror reflects what’s in our own world pretty well, when you get closer and then enter into the next universe, there’s hardly a resemblance to the world you left behind. In my case, I was met by a far more beautiful world. I instantly felt more calm than I ever had in my entire life. It was a dream and yet I was fully awake.

I began to do things I never would have as my old self. I took on new challenges and created a world for myself because I knew there was always an out. I could always jump into the next mirror I saw and lose myself in something else. It wasn’t just finding a more wonderful world through the mirror that gave me a second wind,  a second chance at life, it was knowing I could throw it all away.

So I urge you, live the best life you can, but if you happen to want and try something different, just walk up to the first mirror you see and push yourself through it. Whatever is on the other side is just as unpredictable as what will happen in the future here, so might as well go for it, right?

This was written by Nathan Ellwood, who is #LeakGang all the way. Follow him @NPEllwood.