Self reflection is looking backwards to help give ones' future greater clarity; It's not about dwelling on ones' past but understanding it so that the future can be designed and created a little more effectively into the image one wishes it to be.
Doing so can be both comforting and confronting because in reflecting on ones' life a person will usually find good and bad, success and failure, shadow and light. In each are valuable lessons; The shadow, failure and adversity, can prompt us strive for the light and the light, success and happiness, draws us to it, drives and motivates us to seek it again and again. It's a balance, one reliant upon the other. It's life.
It's balance I see in this photo I took of Faith at the beach; One could almost invert the image and not know real from reflection; The physical Faith from the shadow.
Life itself is rarely perfectly balanced though, nor is it totally dark or perpetually light. It's up to us to influence it, to take ownership, responsibility and action to steer our lives in the direction we wish it to go...It's self-reflection that assists us to do so; Understanding what was, so we can affect was will be, or at least this is how Faith and I find it to be.
I'm curious how you see it...Do you reflect upon your life, attitudes and actions or are your eyes firmly fixed ahead of you without a care to what has happened before? Has darkness, the failure and negativity life throws up, pushed you to seek the light?; The positive and empowering aspects? Has success and happiness motivated you to seek more of the same? Do you simply allow life to take you where it will? Feel free to comment below, I'll respond.
This is not an entry for either the shadow or reflection hunters concepts, just some words about a picture and thoughts about life.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
Discord: galenkp#9209
At this point in my life my reflections now center mostly on the afterlife which I know for a fact will come sooner than later. My faith is such that I believe there will be a heaven and a hell in the afterlife and my actions from now until my time is up will surely determine where I will spend eternity in. Everyday is a challenge to do good in deeds, words and thoughts. But it is a struggle for me to leave behind attachments to the material world. All these years spent on self satisfaction and pleasure have etched these attachments quite deeply and are very difficult to change. This despite the knowledge that I will never be able to bring these material possessions and memories with me anyway in the afterlife. So mostly my reflections center on whether I am doing things pleasing to my God and whether I do them for His glory. There's a mantra I try to always remember and live by, although I know I am failing in so far, and it goes this way: "Do whatever makes you feel holy and not good."
Just sharing my thoughts with you. You may have a different faith or belief and I respect that. It's just that your post seems to have moved me to write something that is personal in nature and which I normally I do not share with others.
Have a great weekend and stay safe. Thanks too for upvoting one of my recent posts. That was indeed a pleasant surprise.
It makes me happy that my humble words have inspired someone to write and share something they may not have otherwise done so.
Life is just life in my opinion and when it ends...Well, I don't know what's there. So I live the best I can, be my best self and show humility and kindness, generosity and respect. From there...Well, it will all unfold in the way it will. I try to influence in the direction I would like to go, to make it as fulfilled as I can and then someday I'll die...Whatever happens from there will be a different adventure.
Thanks for commenting and you're welcome for the upvote, clearly deserved.
Interesting philosophical views... At my age, reflections of the past appear as if I'm peering into the life of another at times. I refuse to admit that it was 'ME' who made so many of those mistakes😕
Ah yes this is a very good point. Is there a crossover-point where looking back etc becomes redundant? I look back (am 51) at myself and sometimes cringe...Was that me? Did I really do or say that?
Yep, that was you buddy...What a dick!
Haha, it's life though and we all keep constantly changing. That's why it's preferable to be the best version of ourselves possible, based on what we know at the time, and from our past experiences. Helps avoid regret.
😎
Yo!
Well, of the questions posed, the final one has drawn me in first. Yes, I can see that I've 'simply' allowed life to take me where it will. That's been ok, but not taking the bull by the horns for large parts has brought about a lackadaisical attitude for many years.
So I guess I do care what has happened before, as being a lazy fucker gripes me. And yes, this darkness and lack of action has motivated me to do better.
VP hammered, prezzie instead :)
So many do the float on by thing. It seems easy, and is easy, although one must pay the boatman at some stage, so to speak. You know?
The good thing for you is that you see that now, you self-reflected and that motivates, or gripeivates, you into action. An attitude adjustment that comes from oneself is preferable to one from another person; it's more likely to take hold, to stick.
Ownership, responsibility, effort and action...Sometimes difficult to deploy, for me too for certain, but sometimes we have to get our big boy pants on and fucking dominate like a heard of wilderbeast on the tundra. Take a more active role in our lives I mean...Take the bull by the horns.
So sweet Asher, it isn't even my birthday and you send prezzies. It's Valentine's Day tomorrow though...I see your alterior motives. 🤪
Valentines tomorrow you say? 😄
True words though, I'll get the hang of it at some point.
So I hear from all the retailer's. Faith and I don't do anything for Valentine's Day...Nothing out of the ordinary anyway. Every day is Valentine's Day for us, we don't need Hallmark to define our lives and how we treat each other.
You'll be fine mate, you're on track.
hello @galenkp good afternoon
It is very true what you say, the past can take relevance if you analyze it to maintain the things that you have done well throughout life, and those that have not been so good, but that there is an opportunity to improve them
Beautiful the photograph that you show us, I appreciate very much that you give us to know
I take this opportunity to wish you an excellent weekend
Understanding the past can make the future better...I mean, if only the human race learned from the mistakes they made in the past...But alas, they won't.
Thanks for your message and weekend wishes. Have a good weekend yourself. :)
i count myself among the fortunate that can reflect on where I was in the past, and the direction I have been heading. I very rarely travel forward with my eyes only straight ahead on the prize, I need to know where I was, I also need to check out all the side streets I have bypassed along my journey to think about what may have been had I tuned left instead of right, I do this not out of regret but out of curiosity, and should I find something I glanced out the corner of my eye and chance upon something similar at a future date I might just go take a look.
One of the fortunate...Yep, some just cannot do it, or refuse. It makes no sense to me, but there it is.
We all walk a path in life and along the way comes good and bad, success and failure, adversity and opportunity...In reality it's all opportunity though right? The opportunity to take it in, to look at it, turn it over, evaluate and change or adapt as required. It seems like you're one wo is happy to change directions, to double back, plot a new course or just trail-break cross-country...Curiosity will do that...If only more people were a little more curious about their lives...They'd probably create better ones.
You're always welcome on my blog bashadow; Please drop in anytime.
Thanks, I am passing on the weekend one this week I think for me it is to difficult and would take a very very long fill the block up comment to narrow down my thoughts.
I simply allow life to take me where it will and occasionally do something when it looks like I need to do something (major problems are when I feel I need to do something but don't actually know what I have to do). All efforts to anything else have been routinely violently bashed down XD
If you get a reflection shot with the horizon line in the centre I reckon you should flip it and not say anything specific and see if anyone notices, especially if it's a really still reflection ;D
Bash those bastard-things back Ry, that's what I do. I refuse to stay down, to let shit win...I'm a push back guy because to do anything else is tantamount to being a passenger...I like to drive.
Anyway, I'm not surprised you've commented in this way...I know you prefer a more hands-off approach and that's completely fine. I suppose as long as one reaches the destinations one seeks it doesn't matter how one gets there.
Your wish is my command, or should I say your command is my command. See Faith below. Inverted.
Ok, so not perfect because those people in the background, but you get the idea.
Sometimes the things are not worth bashing back (or usually the amount of time I already spent on them).
that's actually probably how I got the ability to just ditch things without caring about the sunk cost fallacy
Also the hands off thing usually happens when I automate stuff, I get greviously aggravated if I feel like I'm micromanaging things, like [whatever it is I'm doing] why you so dumb stop wasting my time XD
Seriously though, just drifting usually gets me to wherever I need to be and then I figure out what I need to do when I'm there to drift onto the next thing. Trying to swim/bashing back just makes things take longer at best and prolongs inevitable failure at worst XD
Now that reflection shot is epic++ (because it's also a nice silhouette!). If you weren't paying attention it would be pretty easy to mistake the people for things sticking out of the water or something :D
Yeah, it's a good shot huh? I got lucky I guess, just clicked the button and that's what happened. I hope it happens again someday.
Great photograph sir indeed, I was just scrolling and just saw you post.
our life is sure a reflection of what we all do in our life, what we do one we become that type and we never notice that things. only the other one can tell the difference in us.
Our lives reflect our attitudes, actions and efforts...Give a lot and one will receive the same in return; Give it not and...Not.
Thanks for your message.
ya totally agree sir , I have changed a lots of things during the lockdown it sure takes time but in the end its all gone
Amazing shot and beautiful word
Thank you, I appreciate it.
I do think about my past decisions, especially when I notice old decision making patterns lurking into the present. I try to analyize and see where I could have been better. I do not sit with it long though because ruminating never helps.
Letting life to take you wherever it goes.... Hm.. Sounds a bit too carpe diem for me, but in the same time I noticed that with all of my struggle, plans, determination, there will always be a small portion of this thing we call life that I will never be able to control. This feeling made me very anxious for a long time until I embraced the fact that life in itself is uncertainty in a shell.
!ENGAGE 20
Ruminating may be wasted time, evaluation is not. One must know where that line is.
I'm not one to left life take me where it wants either...Floating along with no direction and input? Seems wasteful. Sure, there's moments when that's ok, but in general I thing having some direction and plans, will be more productive and help to gain more from ones life.
Evaluation is what we all need. Otherwise we would repeat mistakes all over again
ENGAGEtokens.Its a great photo by the way - the reflections are beautiful.
To answer your question, I do self-reflect the whole time. I start with the mindset of - how could I have done things differently to have a better outcome? I belive by always asking myself this, I can slowly adjust myself to become a better and better person. I also believe we choose to either have a positive or negative outlook. So let's choose wisely as that is our own reflection on life.
That's a good ethos to have I believe, and attitude that seeks continuous improvement. It helps people get the best of themselves and their lives. Of course, one must be careful not to forget to celebrate the things that are immediately around them; One must enjoy life now after all. I think a little balance is good and it seems you're well on track.
Hey thanks for your reply. Exactly, celebrate and be grateful for what we have, listen and understand others, continuously try to improve myself...... That is my recipe.
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Very Beautiful and lovely Reflection !
@galenkp
I do reflect upon my life and go for long walks down the road of introspection . Sometimes I walk to far away.
Balance so important and I truly hope I can learn how to become better at living a more emotionally balanced life.
:-)
Thanks Anne, I get lucky with the camera sometimes.
I agree, balance is important. Balance is weighted one way or the other sometimes, but it's still balance. I like presence better than balance though. To be present in the moments of my life and 100% presence is optimal.
Thanks for commenting.
I would definitely say that I am the reflective type both forward and backward and seeking the positive of either definitely feels better, but I cannot say that I do not derail from time to time, as you already know. Though - I suppose the point is simply that you get back up and dust yourself off. Lovely pic.
Ah yes, the derail sometimes problem. It happens to us all, and only those in denial will say it doesn't, or hasn't, happened. It's human.
We all make mistakes, get spazzy and act poorly at times...It's in recognising it, stopping it, analysing the reasons for it and rectifying them that defines a person, helps them move forward.
I'm that guy who gets up when knocked down...I mean it's easy right? We only have to get up one more time than we're knocked down. #noteasy #butessential
Reflecting forwards and backward (nice phrase by the way) is of such great value to a person and can place one in a better position to deploy a little more effectively in the future, starting immediately. Yep, I've derailed, and will again...But being reflective has, and will, help limit the damage, and in fact, a little adversity can be good...A good lesson. It's a little like failure in that way.
Thanks for the comment, honesty and compliment on the image. (G-dog got lucky with the camera).
"Get Spazzy" lol.
And yes, agreed on all counts.
My pleasure.
You telling me to do so? Trust me, homie doesn't need any encouragement! 😂
I noticed :P
but no, was just laughing at the expression. :D
Yeah, I use it a lot...And now I know you will too...It has many applications so get creative.
hahaha!!! too true! Especially in the lives of individuals like you and I. :D