One of the more difficult challenges we faces as individuals is being able to critically reflect on ourselves in a way that challenges our comfort zone. When we are so programmed to look at things from our own perspective it can be hard to look at ourselves with different coloured glasses on – but if we can we open ourselves to the magical opportunity of self-reflection. Being able to challenge yourself to higher standards of behaviour and thinking, critique how you acted or spoke in certain situations or even thoughts that found their way into your conscious will allow you to positively change the way you see the world and how others see (& interact with) you.
It can be hard to not give yourself a 10/10 for effort when marking your own work and whilst we would all like to think what we do and how we think has justification, there can nearly always be a better way to react or respond to situations that we find ourselves in. Holding ourselves to account for this and finding ways for improvement are wonderful chances for growth. Of course there is plethora of wonderful materials (books. Podcasts, conferences etc) that give you information on self-improvement but without regularly looking inward and assessing yourself, the materials will ultimately become worthless.
So rather than saying ‘I’ll do it when I next get a chance,’ make it a priority to pencil in some meditation or ‘reflective time’ to give yourself the opportunity to gain some perspective and achieve some personal growth.
~Alastair
