Not A Mirror, But A Self Reflection
I recently read a quote that said “Waves are inspiring not because they rise and fall, but because each time they fall they never fail to rise again”. Reading this quote forced me to think and reflect on all of the ups and downs of my year. 2015 gave me some fantastic memories along with some moments which I’d prefer to forget. What I soon realized after looking back was that every time I fell down, I was able to get back up. I am sure that you too have experienced highs and lows throughout the course of your year. If you haven’t already done it, I really encourage you to take a step back and reflect on this past year. You would be amazed at how cleansing it can be. I just have a few pieces of advice for you before you begin your reflecting.
| be honest |
This is not necessarily an exercise that is meant to boost your self esteem. The point of doing this is to remember moments where you struggled and even failed, and then what you did to recover. If you are not completely honest with yourself, then you will not get anything out of this activity.
| be selfish |
I bet this sounds weird, but give me a chance to explain! The whole purpose of this activity is to focus on Y-O-U. Don’t do this so that you can measure your successes and failures against those of someone else. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you do this for yourself. You owe it to yourself to spend this time purely for your benefit.
| be futuristic |
Don’t go and buy a spacesuit or something crazy! All that I mean is that this exercise should be used as a way to help you in the future, not to dwell on the past. For example, if you come across a situation where you didn’t respond in the best way, take that experience and use it as a learning moment for yourself.
Just like the waves in the ocean, we rise and we fall. It is inevitable and completely natural. According to the quote, waves are so inspirational because the never fail to rise again. No matter what you come across from 2015, remember that you are here now, and you are fabulous. Take everything, good bad and ugly, from last year and see how you can apply it into 2016.
|Stay motivated and don’t give up, amazing things will happen|
Julia O’Connor