Do you move so quickly through the moments of your day that you can’t recall what you had for lunch yesterday or have no idea how you spent last Saturday? Aren’t our productive lives hurried? With so much to do in each 24 hours, we don’t give much pause to celebrate a job well done or sort through confusing emotions. When we don’t pause to look back and consider our days, we miss the memories, lessons to be learned, and places to be grateful.
I am tempted to pass through my routines with little time for remembering and reflection. However, I happen to be reading three books* currently that are designed for reflection and questioning. I’m learning the power of asking these helpful questions and taking the time to think about the passing moments.
Reflection is different than unhelpful ruminating. Think of reflection as a teacher, while overthinking is a brain drain. Reflection is purposeful and practical. It’s not playing over and over a past conversation in our minds, but it could be asking yourself why that conversation bothered you.
A prayer my family prayers many Saturdays has a passage on reflection.
It says,
“We will not live this week again,
Therefore may our hearts,
under the perfect tutelage of your Spirit,
now glean wisdom
from the memory of
our passage through
the moments and
emotions of those days.” **
In this prayer we can see how reflection is gleaning wisdom from what we remember. Here are some suggestions to aid in this practice of looking back to guide your moving ahead.
- Write down what you are learning.
What did you start to understand this week that you didn’t have clarity on last? What are you reading or hearing that is teaching you something new? What circumstances have been a teacher?
- List what you are thankful for.
This helps you look back and see the light and goodness in your days. This practice brings with it peace and contentment.
- Ask yourself what decisions you’ve made recently and think about upcoming decisions.
Can past decisions and results guide current decision making? I believe it does!
Sifting through emotions, appreciating moments, looking at decisions, and asking great questions will strengthen our current and future decisions. Reflection is a powerful tool to help us steer forward in wisdom. Pull out a notebook and take a moment to reflect.
-Kassie Joy
*The books I mentioned are:
Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First. By Laura Tremaine
The Next Right Thing Guided Journal By Emily P. Freeman
Don’t Overthink It By Anne Bogel
** Every Moment Holy from A Liturgy for Saturday’s Table Blessing
