The Importance of Reflection: How It Can Help You Be Mindful and Satisfied
In our fast-paced, constantly-connected world, it is more important than ever to take the time for reflection.
For many of us, it seems like there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. We’re always on the go, constantly checking our phones and emails. This lifestyle can be very stressful and anxiety-inducing.
Reflection allows us to take a step back and appreciate all that we have. It helps us be mindful of what is happening in our lives, both good and bad. It is important for us to contemplate the events that have taken place, as well as the people who have played a role in our lives. If we do not reflect on these things, we will take them for granted. And when we take things for granted, nothing will satisfy our desires.
We enter an endless cycle of pursuing a moving target- our desires.
Marcus Aurelius, in his Meditations, devotes the first book to the lessons he’s learned from influential people in his life. You won’t know what lessons you’ve learned from someone until you’ve actively reflected on it (written about it). You can practice this yourself.
- Family. List your family members down. Like Aurelius, write about them. Write about the qualities that makes them unique. Qualities that you’ve learned from them and that make them a good person.
- Unfriendly acquaintances (enemies). Even our enemies can have admirable qualities from which we can learn. If they’re taking up a lot of our attention, there has to be something we can learn from them. Maybe they’re our “enemy” because they compete with us for higher pay at work. You can learn from their motivation. Channel your dislike of them in a creative and productive manner.
- Experiences. Write about how you acted (reacted) to a situation today. Could you have done better? What would you do differently?
There are lessons we can, and should, learn from life everyday. Be it from people or experiences. But we won’t be able to learn those lessons unless we take the time for reflection.
Reflection is a powerful mindfulness tool that allows us to appreciate the present moment, as well as our past experiences. It helps us be satisfied with what we have, because we are constantly reminded of its value.
Taking the time for reflection is more important now than ever. In our constantly-connected and fast-paced world, it can be easy to lose sight of what’s truly important. But if we take a moment to reflect on our lives and our experiences, we can live a more fulfilled life. So take some time for yourself this week — reflect on your life and what you’ve accomplished so far. It may not seem like much, but it’s worth taking the time to appreciate all you have.
