Good Times to Reflect

The opportunity to reflect is not what some have the leisure to find. To reflect is to take some time out to think about happenings. In his book, The Way to Love, Anthony de Mello gave profound suggestions on how to reflect in ways that offer you the freedom to discover unique things. He said that the blocks to our sensitivity are two: belief and attachment. He advises us to have reflections of reality, instead of beliefs. Our beliefs box how broad our reflections could be. The secret for attachments, he recommended, is to renounce nothing, cling to nothing, enjoy everything and allow it to pass, to flow. That might sound quite ambiguous but it offers you the opportunity to think and stretch your mind. So, when then are some good times to reflect?

The End of the Day. I remember when I was on an internship at Sterling Bank. It used to be very busy and mentally dusty days. Whenever I came back home, after eating and freshening up, I would just lie down on the couch and just think. I didn't do that intentionally. I would lie down just to rest but then, my mind will start playing everything that happened during the day. I would think about the things I said, the way I said them, if I should have said them, and if I might have to reconcile later. And also the things I did. It was very interesting. Take some time at the end of the day, and reflect on how the day went. Reflect on the things you did and said; reflect on the activities that took place; reflect on your goals for the day (if you have them) and if you were able to get them done, if not, what prevented you and how might you do better the following day.

The End of the Week. At the end of the week, take some time to reflect on how the week went. What days were critical to achieving your goals and how did you take them on? What thieves did you permit to steal your days? What days were out of your control? (Weirdly, some days are just planned for you.) So, the end of the week is a good time to reflect on how the week went and if you did take significant actions that made the week useful. A week is a powerful mosaic of your life, don't joke with it.

The End of the Month. This is especially useful for businesses and families. You must take some time with other members of the team to assess how the plans went. Did we achieve our goals and what prevented us? How can we do better and what new ways can we develop ourselves? Reflect on how you are doing, and how you will do better. Reflect on your relationships: social, family, spiritual, and romantic, etc. Whatever you value to be important, reflect on ways you could contribute better to that construct.

The End of the Year. This is easy to pass by but, the end of the year tells how careless or meticulous one must have been. It tells how serious one must have been. Take some time.

How long you want to take might differ. At the end of the day, you might take a few minutes; for the week, you might take a few hours or a day. At the end of the month, you might take a day off or a few hours, still. And frankly, at the end of the year, you should take a few days. You don't have to reflect alone, you can reflect with your team members, your spouse, your sibling(s), your parents, or a friend. But, take some time to reflect.

Thank you so much, I hope this helps. See you in the next one.