Recently, I have been thinking quite a bit about how we ought to lead our lives - whether it is about how we may relate to others, or it is about how we relate to ourselves, our dreams, goals, aspirations and such - and what struck me today was the importance of reflection. What separates us from most animals is that we can think about thinking (the thought of thought, and that makes us self-aware). Most other animals are not (or have not yet been found to be) able to think about thinking, but leaving that aside, this thought of thought makes us reflect.
What did we do in the past and how it has affected us, is something we need to consciously and mindfully consider. Without reflecting, we simply may be making the same mistakes over and over again. We may end up being the same way throughout our lives, and growth in our individual capacity might end up a distant dream. Our lifestyle makes this an even more important task: we pride oursleves on being busy, on doing a hundred and one things and being 24/7 people. As with everything in life, if we don't make the time to sit down and reflect, we may never sit down and reflect.
Being busy is great but taking a step back and a bird's eye view is just as important, if not more. This applies universally, I believe, for making the same mistakes, blaming the wrong aspects of our lives, and becoming better people are three concepts that apply universally.
There need not be a scientific system for a reflection, it can be instinctive, or it can simply just be based on feelings. This not only helps us become better people, it also gives us better view of how we ought to be, in relation to others and to ourselves.
Thinking back makes everything clearer, in Hindsight we feel most secure in the outcomes of our decisions. Perhaps if we were all the evaluate how certain things make us feel, and others, this world may be an even better place for everyone, everything.
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