I’ve said that if you think of the 5 steps to living savvy—Ask, Do, Discover, Commit and Celebrate—as doorways through which you’ll pass again and again on your journey, then the master key that opens all of them is reflection.
Savouring white space and the surprises it can bring
When I talk about reflection, I’m talking about at least a little ‘white space’ in your life. Time when you let go of the to-do list and the constant background noise of life, to create a space where you can be quietly present. And where your mind can rest on the surface, so that thoughts have the opportunity to rise up from a deeper place within.
Because while you may be consciously using the time to focus on a particular question (more on that below), the reality is that the white space creates an opening for your subconscious to remind you of something important…
Perhaps you are thinking about what’s important to you, and then remember running into an old acquaintance on the street. You were so busy that day you forgot about it almost straight away, but now you think about how the two of you used to have regular coffee and chats, before she moved away. Maybe what’s important to you is catching up properly? Maybe it’s about making time for regular coffee and chats with your current circle of friends?
Or you might be thinking about what’s missing from your life, and suddenly an image of yourself as a young child, making cupcakes with your mother, comes to mind. Perhaps what’s missing is a call to your mum, or making cupcakes with your own kids, or simply time to do something fun and creative yourself?
Some reflection questions
- What do I want my life to be about?
- What is important to me?
- What do I dream about?
- What is missing in my life or what do I want more of?
- What do I want to fill my life with?
These are just a start… give your mind the space and see where it takes you.
Need more convincing?
In a busy life it can be tempting, when we have some spare time, to collapse on the couch with a novel, or TV program, or even a pillow to catch up on some sleep!
Without question, we all need some complete relaxation time, but a little reflection time can go a long way (and even more reflection time is just fabulous!).
When you take time to reflect you’re much more aware of the life you are creating right now, and much clearer on what you want to fine-tune tomorrow, next week and beyond.
Great side-effects you may notice:
- You find you have a stronger and clearer focus for your energy.
- You discover ways to simplify your life, by aligning your decisions, choices, actions with your goals and aspirations.
- You are more articulate about your dreams and share your enthusiasm more easily with others.
- You more easily connect with others who are working towards similar goals, and get the advice and support you need to move ahead.
- You know which opportunities will take you closer to where you want to be, and which ones won’t.
Think you don’t have the time for reflection?
Check out this article for some quick tips.
Image by Odd Sock
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