Reflection

 It's so very strange living in a world in which all of our conflict, all of our turmoil, is out in the open all the time, being exposed on social media and shared with anyone in the world who finds it.  It used to be that if I had a personal problem, I dealt with it on my own, usually asking for advice from one or two very trusted individuals.  Now, though, I can put it on social media with a blanket request for advice, and receive literally hundreds of responses, depending on how many friends or "followers" I have.

And when the advice does come in, I'll more than likely sift through it to find out how many people gave the advice that I wanted to hear.  Once I see several of those, I'm going to take that advice, and do what I wanted to do to begin with.

But troubled times aren't times for noise.  We already hear enough noise, in the arguments about politics and taxes, in the speeches of politicians who are trying to divide us, in the tears and cries for help from people who don't have enough to eat, who don't have work, who have lost loved ones to the pandemic, who are barely holding on in a world that so many people claim is here to have us thrive.  Noise is all about us, and times like those we're going through now call for more quiet, more peace, more reflection.  We live in a society that doesn't value reflection at all, and that fact is obvious in the ways that we're willing to damage the world we live in without giving it a thought, in the ways that we hurt our friends and neighbors without caring, in the ways that we hurt ourselves without realizing it.

Reflection is not a dirty word, believe it or not.  Reflection is our attempt to go inside and meet our authentic selves, that spirit that's deep within us that knows the difference between right and wrong, between need and desire, between true and false.  Reflection is our attempt to carve out a peaceful area in which we can thrive and grow and mature, without worrying about material goods or impressing other people or "getting ahead."  And in these tumultuous days that we're living through right now, reflection may be our last true haven, our last and only authentic chance for finding the sweet among the bitter, the true among the false, the good among the evil.

I believe that my best reflection takes place while I'm running, for then I'm able to think things through without distractions.  Yes, I have to watch the road ahead of me, but that doesn't keep me from pondering the important things in my life.  And it may be a misnomer to say "think things through," for the strength of reflection isn't necessarily in thinking things through and coming to conclusions.  Sometimes, it's important for me to bring something to mind without judging it, without trying to come up with solutions if it's a problem.  I just need to consider it.  If someone said something that offended me, it's tempting to think of comebacks or methods of revenge.

But what if I just ask myself, "Why?"  Why did that person say it?  Did I do something to deserve the comment?  Was the comment a result of his or her own frustration or anger, and really isn't about me at all?  Why does it offend me?  They're just words, right?  Why is it still on my mind?  It must be important to me somehow.  

When we reflect, we don't need to look for answers.  Rather, we need to feel who we are as an authentic human being, and apply that authenticity to our lives and our relationships.  There's a huge difference between what logic and reason can allow to be right, and what's authentically right for us as a member of the human race and an inhabitant of this planet.

But if we never take time out for reflection, we'll never hear that authentic voice because it's being stifled by all those other voices that aren't there for our good.

Find some peace and quiet, even if it's only for ten minutes a day.  And when you find it, don't allow your mind to just run over the same things it runs over when you're not alone in quiet.  Rather, find something to focus on--your breath, the beautiful picture on your wall, the image of your infant daughter or granddaughter, the memory of a day at the beach.  Let your mind slow down and quiet, and when it does so, then consider something that's bothering you--without trying to explain it or solve it.  A gun can kill you if you point it at yourself and pull the trigger, but it can't harm you at all if you just look at it and learn more about it.  It's similar with our thoughts--if we can examine them without judgment, we can learn from them, leading to new thoughts that are healthier and more helpful to us.

Hectic times are, ironically enough, times when reflection is most important.  Take some time to and for yourself, and learn what your own mind has to teach you.  You deserve the peace that you'll introduce to your life, and the people in your lives will be grateful to have a more grounded, peaceful person in their lives.

More thoughts and ideas on reflection.