Some of y’all aren’t self-reflecting. And it shows.
Quick…list three ways you practice self-reflection. Can you list three ways you engage in this imperative act of self-love and personal growth? Do you have to think really hard about when or even whether you do self reflect? Surprise! You are…currently…in the process of self-reflection by the sheer act of asking yourself these questions. Let’s face it; we have all been living in a hell-storm of stress for over a year and a half. For those that have somehow avoided a long stretch of living in only comfy joggers or binge-eating the Costco-sized bag of Pirate Booty…well, good for you. The vast majority of us have shifted in more recent months to deciding what does and does not belong in our “cup” so to speak. We felt our pain – still feel some pain amid the turmoils, but we are doing something about this residual anguish. Many of us have departed social media or overhauled our nutrition to get back to feeling well again, while others have picked up hobbies to distract us. To these folks, I say, GREAT WORK. YOU ARE…doing THE WORK (as Brene Brown says).
To those still fighting on social media, comment feeds, sending crappy emails to your kid’s teachers with ridiculous complaints, to those berating the store cashier who is one of the few to show up to work that day…you need to self-reflect. Period. Dot. The end.
You know who you are…still trying to engage in back-and-forths about politics in forums where zero resolutions ever take place. Still trying to claim vaccines are too dangerous even after the FDA approval. Maybe you’re mindlessly using phrases about the new era like, “I’m over it” (“it” being any number of the day-to-day goings ons that have become our lives – newsflash “it” ain’t goin’ nowhere).
That’s fine. You no longer hold space inside my head…and you are unimportant in the lives of most you interact with…but yourself. That’s another story. Why aren’t you doing the work of self-reflection, Boo? It’s inconceivable that we could live in a world composed of so much constant conflict and misery if everyone – and I mean everyone – sat down and mindfully looked within ourselves to seek what is truly available to bring us each more joy. More hope. Less hate. Less rage.
Personally, I do my self-reflection in the form of my commute and alone time in my car. Sometimes music or an affirmation/self-help podcast provides me so much substance in supporting my thinking. It’s not rumination on a work moment that annoys me. It’s deeper. It’s me breaking down moments and thinking on WHY I reacted to this or that a certain way, analyzing the why behind my day’s goings-ons. Why did I spend so much at Target? I didn’t need the fourth pair of identical yoga pants I have at home…was I numbing something? And if so, what?
Research studies on mental wellness prove that self-reflection is a method heavily used to provide clarity, empathy for others, and self-fulfillment of our dreams and goals. Are you willing to be the same you, this time next year, that’s the same you living in your skin today? Maybe it’s a good day to buy a new, crisp journal or hit play on a self-help podcast because:
Some of y’all aren’t self-reflecting…and it shows.
