I recently took some time to read back through some of the entries in my personal journal from this past year. It was a good reminder of just how important it can be to take time to periodically Reflect in our lives, and since this is my final message to you from 2023, it seemed like a good topic for this week.
Reflecting can help us slow down
When we think about what has already happened in our lives, it forces us to slow down and actually remember events, circumstances, and even people we have encountered along our journey. Often this can lead us to a greater sense of gratitude, and even give us time to celebrate accomplishments and achievements. Slowing down through reflecting can also help us learn from the past and guide us as we make decisions about moving forward in our lives. It's important to not let the reflection lead us into a sense of regret, but rather determination for making change and identifying places we want to grow and improve.
Reflecting can help us see patterns
As I read through some of my entries, it was interesting to see trends and patterns in thinking that emerged. Some of those themes were very positive, and some of them were a bit challenging, but all of them helped me grow in my own journey of self-awareness. By taking time to Reflect, I was able to discover patterns that I may have missed and allow them to spur me on in continuing those trends or recognizing changes that I need to make.
Reflecting can help us gain perspective
One pattern I was able to witness in my Reflection was there were times when I was very concerned about a situation or a relationship, and it was obviously taking up a lot of my attention. But in Reflection, I was able to see those things weren't nearly as significant as I thought they might be at the time. I was also able to observe that there were other circumstances and relationships that at the time, didn't really seem to be that big of a deal, but they actually had a significant impact on my life. By Reflecting, I was able to look back through the lens of hindsight and really gain some valuable perspective from my life.
During this final week of 2023, what do you think you might be able to see if you took some time to Reflect? How could that process help you slow down and learn? What patterns might emerge from some thoughtful Reflection on this past year? How might looking back through the lens of hindsight help you gain a better perspective and understanding of just how you were impacted by events and relationships in 2023?
Here's to finding some real value for ourselves by taking time to Reflect on 2023 this week!
Be Well,
Stephen
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