How often do you listen to yourself? Do you really give thought to your actions, analyze your behavior, and be honest with yourself when you fall short?
More and more, it seems, people are too busy, too distracted, too self-involved. Kindness is sometimes a casualty in our hectic world and our actions become more and more thoughtless. We take friends and family for granted. We don’t consider the feelings of others. We forget to be grateful for what we have while we pursue what we desire. We get on our high horse and never dismount unless we’re forced off by external forces.
It is when we are knocked off that high horse that we are humbled and perhaps start to take a good look at ourselves. Many times we don’t like what we see and we embark on a journey to make some positive changes. Whether you succeed or fail depends on if you listen to yourself.
Self reflection is often difficult, but it’s important to personal growth. If you don’t like what you see in the mirror, you’ll strive to change it. But, if you never look in the mirror, how can you know what to change or even that you need to change?
Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Start on the path to wisdom. Take some time to listen to and understand yourself. Identify the negative in yourself and take steps to change it. Celebrate the positive in yourself and seek to share it with others. Make it a habit to examine yourself often and provide yourself feedback. Your journey will be smoother for it.
He that will not reflect is a ruined man. -Asian Proverb