Reflecting | Awakening to the Dance

“The way we experience the world around us is a direct reflection of the world within.” Gabrielle Bernstein

Do you take time to reflect on your life each day? Each week? Ever? How does that help you? If you don’t, why do you avoid it? Does it make you uncomfortable?

(Special thanks to Jessie for today’s topic. Thanks to you all for the many wonderful ideas you gave me. It wasn’t easy to choose, so I did some meditation and this topic came up first. Next week I will need a topic starting with “S” so if you have some ideas, please put them in comment.)

Reflection is an inner activity and requires us to move away from the active part of our lives and look at what we are doing and thinking. Some people are uncomfortable with this idea and value only activity, either mental or physical, but giving attention to our inner as well as outer selves creates a balance in our lives that is healthy and strengthens us in many ways.

Lack of Reflection May Be Detrimental

Being active all the time may be fun, but it may also be exhausting or confusing. Our minds and bodies also need rest. At times, that simply means sleep, but it may also mean reflecting on what is happening in our lives and determining if we are heading in the right direction.

For years, most of my decisions were emotional. That’s what guided my life and led me to be involved in two disastrous relationships. I fell in love, and even when my rational mind tried to show me these were not good choices, I ignored it. I also ignored the behavior of the men when their lack of devotion was obvious. When reflection presented me with reality, I chose to think that the idea of breaking up with them was just negative thinking.

Our Inner Self Offers Wise Guidance

It is true that we have to learn to distinguish between fear and inner wisdom that warns us not to do what we may want to do. When I learned to meditate and release my fear, I then more easily respected what my inner reflection showed me. Even if its guidance was not what I wanted to hear, I respected it and took the time to reflect on its message. As a result, I began to make wiser choices and felt stronger.

We are now living in an especially chaotic time. Listening to the news invariably stirs up fear or anger and makes it difficult to even hear what is being reported. It is almost impossible not to become disturbed, but if we connect with our inner peace, we can experience disbelief or disapproval without it throwing us off balance.

Taking the time to reflect on this news gives us the opportunity to decide what we want to do to help improve the situation, if that is possible, or to let go of the thought or anger that may harm us. Not everyone can take action, but if we decide to do so, reflecting on the possible actions will help us make the best choice. Just reacting to a situation is rarely a good solution.

Nature May Help Us Find Peace

The times when I feel the most reflective are during a walk in the forest or under the trees. Being close to nature always beings me close to Spirit and opens my spiritual self to reflection. One may also experience this fishing or floating on a lake or stream. There is something about Nature that clears the dust and tar from our minds and offers a sweet breeze to cool our emotions and open us to positive reflection.

We have the power to enrich our inner lives and to feel love and peace, and we can reflect that out into the world, enriching the lives of all those who come in contact with us.

Related blog Posts:

INSPIRATIONAL REFLECTION: DANCING DEEPER

AWAKENING THROUGH SPIRITUAL REFLECTION: WHAT DO YOU MIRROR?

AWAKENING TO COMPASSIONATE COMMUNICATION