WORD OF THE DAY: SELF-REFLECTION
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meditation or serious thought about one’s character, actions, and motives.
“A man must find time for himself. Time is what we spend our lives with. If we are not careful we find others spending it for us. . . . It is necessary now and then for a man to go away by himself and experience loneliness; to sit on a rock in the forest and to ask of himself, ‘Who am I, and where have I been, and where am I going?’ . . . If one is not careful, one allows diversions to take up one’s time—the stuff of life.” ― Carl SandburgI see no right or wrong in self-reflection. For me it serves as a mirror showing me where I am in life and offers a glimpse of where I would like to be. Self-reflection gives me opportunity to pause and reflect about my own assets and shortcomings. Believe me, I do fall short. But ackowledging and owning my shortcomings expands my awareness and tolerance of others. It cleans the cobwebs encasing my Soul and enlarges the heart allowing compassion for all life.
“How am I doing in each of the following virtues?”
1. Gratitude: Is it my habit to thank the Universe/God/higher power (the power greather than ourselves) and others for what they have done? Am I grateful?
2. Serenity: Am I free from all outbursts of selfish anger or rage? Am I approachable, quiet in spirit, open to criticism, and don’t get defensive when I am corrected or rebuked?
3. Humility: Do I have an inflated ego? Do I consider others equal to myself? Am I teachable?
4. Attitude: Is my lifestyle one of the right relationships, not just outwardly but inwardly too? Do I disperse hate, ill will, malice or bitterness toward others?
5. Acceptance: Do I fight back or retaliate when people criticize, condemn, reject or complain against me? Is it my practice to answer in truth and turn away from their wrath?
6. Peace: Is it my practice to bring peace between others who are at odds? Do I cultivate peace in my thoughts, words, and actions?
7. Courage: Do I stand up for my beliefs, keeping fear under control and taking risks in expressing my true self?
8. Trust: Do I live a life of trust in the Universe/God/higher power?
9. Perseverence: When things get difficult, stressful and unrewarding, even if I must face suffering difficulty and persecution, do I tap into a source of endurance?
10. Integrity: Do my thoughts, words, and actions flow freely into each other? Are my thoughts, words, and actions congruent?
11. Service to Others: Do I regularly give back to the world? Do I serve my others, including family, friends, and strangers with no conditions or expectations?
12. Forgiveness: If there is an individual or group of people who have hurt me in the past, do I release my resentment, bitterness or grudge against them? Have I forgiven everyone who has ever hurt me?
13. Making Amends: If I’ve ever taken things which do not belong to me, or hurt people by what I said or did, do I follow my Soul’s instruction when it compels me to make amends?
14. Materialism: Do I resist attaching myself to materialism? Do I choose live a life of contentment and satisfaction with what I have. I’m not always “wanting more”?
15. Inventory: It is the routine of my life to spend time alone to meditate/pray/reflect and beyond that I live in the present, letting go of the past resisting jumping ahead into the future?
16. Honesty: Do I avoid half-truths, white lies, flattery or exaggeration? Do I practice absolute honesty both in my relationships with others and myself? Do I lie in order to allow myself or others to avoid unpleasant emotions?
17. Tongue Stewardship: Do my words build others up, encourage, comfort, help, inspire, and challenge?
