Why are we moving so fast these days? Where are we going? What exactly is your destination? Have you even decided that for yourself? Or are you caught up in the “more, more, more” way of being of today’s culture? If so, more of what?
I think we have become Human Doings more than we are Human Beings. There is nothing wrong with being in action, but there is something wrong with feeling as if we constantly have to be doing something. Or trying to not be in action and our mind is so loud we can’t stand to sit still. We are compelled to be DOING something.
Simply put, in order to make any effective change in our lives, we must stop and take a look at who we are, what we’re doing and the results it is producing. Without stopping and taking a look at all that, we’re doomed to repeat the same action over and over – insanity! Creating time in our life to REFLECT is the stopping and looking that I’m talking about. We can’t change what we don’t see about ourselves, and in order to see, we must stop and reflect for a while. When we’re constantly doing, we’re often not reflecting.
Here’s the danger. If we don’t stop and take a look at how we’re doing our life, we can’t notice what’s not working, and therefore won’t ever make the changes needed to end up where we desire. In other words, we’re trapped on the hamster wheel or caught in the endless loop of the search for more of something we don’t even need.
In order to make any sort of change in our life, we must start at BEING. It is the start of all actions and all results. There is no getting around it. And so, we must learn to stop sometimes and reflect on our being, and our doing, and our results in life. We must stop and take a hard look at ourselves and what we’re up to, and perhaps ask ourselves the following questions:
- What is working in my life? What is not working in my life?
- Who is it that I want to be that I am not right now?
- How can I be different with others in my life in order to create the relationships I want?
- What don’t I see about myself that is getting in my way? What could I learn from others about me that might serve me?
- How am I showing up for others around me?
- What wants to manifest for me now in my life?
Perhaps it’s time to put our focus back on being and take a look at what we’re up to – to build some reflection time into our days and start to make some powerful changes in our lives. The time is now!
Here are just a few ideas to start a practice of reflection:
- Set 15 minutes aside at the end of each work day, or calendar day to reflect on yourself and the day.
- Start a journal to help you capture those thoughts.
- Reflect with others on a regular basis, at the end of meetings or the end of the day. Others can see what you don’t and that information is valuable. What do they see that you don’t see?
- Book your meetings to end 10 minutes before the hour, so you have time to wrap up one meeting with reflection and get ready for another. Don’t book them back to back!
Set aside purposeful reflection time with someone else (spouse, partner, friend, etc.) on a weekly basis. You’d be amazed at what you learn and what is created from these conversations.