There once lived a wise old turtle who lived in a serene pond at the edge of a forest. Every evening, he would climb out onto a rock and gaze at his reflection in the water. One day, a young frog approached him and asked, “Why do you always look at yourself?” The turtle replied, “I do it to remind myself of who I am and who I want to be. By reflecting on my actions and thoughts, I can learn and grow”. From then on, the young frog joined the turtle in his evening reflections, learning the importance of self-reflection.
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. In your quest and journey for personal development, self-reflection plays a pivotal role. You can only know who you are, and what you are capable of when you reflect.
It is very easy to be consumed by the demands of everyday life that neglect you, and just assume you know yourself, which is why it is important to do some self-reflection.
Self-reflection is your ability to take stock of your thoughts, actions, emotions, values, beliefs, and experiences to better understand yourself. It involves taking an honest and introspective look at yourself.
It was Paul TP Wong who said,
“Time spent in self-reflection is never wasted. It is an intimate date with yourself.”
Paul TP Wong
Self-reflection can be a catalyst for self-awareness, self-acceptance, and compassion. The journey into self-acceptance and self-love must begin with self-examination. Until you take the journey to self-reflect, it is almost impossible to grow or learn in life.
Take time to get to know yourself intimately. Quiz yourself, reflect on life, be willing to dig deep, and discover your soul’s needs.
The popular American TV host, Ellen DeGeneres, once said,
“Find out who you are and be that person, that is what your soul was put on this earth to be. Find that truth and live that truth and everything else will come.”
Ellen DeGeneres
You find out who you are, through self-reflection. It is through this process that you find out who you are, and who you truly want to be. You observe if your thoughts are truly yours, or if you are living through the eyes of others. “The world will ask you who you are and if you do not know, the world will tell you who you are”.
To truly know a person, you must have spent time with them, ask relevant questions, observe if their actions match their words, etc. The same thing applies to you, to fully grasp who you are and what you want, you need to spend time with yourself, reflecting on your actions, thoughts, values, observing patterns, etc.
The benefits of self-reflection are innumerable but for this discussion, we will examine some of these benefits.
- Healthy Relationship– By knowing who you are and what you want, you can better communicate with the people in your life and foster healthy relationships. You cannot give what you do not know you have. When you self-reflect, you know what you are and what you are not, and it improves the quality of your relationships.
- Decision Making– By reflecting, you can always weigh the pros and cons of issues and your actions. It aids you in making informed decisions.
The benefit of self-reflection cannot and should not be underestimated. Be like the young frog and embrace growth. To thine own self, be true.
