Category Archives: Reflection

“I have always tried to make room for anything that wanted to come to me from within.”

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“I have always tried to make room for anything that wanted to come to me from within.”

—Dr. Carl Gustav Jung, Founder of analytical psychology

Photo from Flickr by Harturg HKD

Photo from Flickr by Harturg HKD

Among his many contributions to the fields of psychiatry and psychotherapy were Jung’s works on extroversion, introversion, archetypes, and the collective unconscious.

We often find ourselves operating in an adrenaline-rich environment, with the volume turned up full blast. Jung suggests that we create and use an internal “Mute Button” to take a quiet or even silent journey of self-reflection and personal discovery.

EXERCISE:

Take at least five minutes today to sit in silence. Explore your inner world.  Notice how thoughts, feelings, and images bubble up and fade away. What nuggets of wisdom come through?

Consider picking up a copy of one of my favorite books, Quiet (2012), by Susan Cain, to discover the power of introverts in “a world that can’t stop talking.”

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many – not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”

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“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many – not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”

– Charles Dickens, English novelist

565Image from Flickr by symphony of love.

One of the single most important things we can do to live a more fulfilling life is to exercise our “gratitude muscles” daily. You might find it interesting to know that gratitude:

  • Makes you happier
  • Makes people like you
  • Makes you healthier
  • Boosts your career
  • Increases optimism
  • Helps you sleep better
  • Gives you more energy
  • Helps you be more resilient
  • Increases self-esteem
  • Helps you live longer
  • Increases your energy level
  • Reduces stress
  • Improves all forms of relationships
  • Makes you more attractive, because you will be smiling more
  • Makes you a more effective leader and manager
  • Improves decision-making
  • Increases productivity

Exercise:

Take at least one minute today to journal about all the things you are grateful for.

Consider sharing this exercise with your family, close friends, and colleagues to make the most of the synergies available within these communities.

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

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“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

– Edith Wharton, Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist

518Image from Flickr by Avijeet_Sachdev.

This quote immediately appealed to me as a great metaphor for the role of a coach. Much of the time, a coach’s focus is to help their clients discover, expand, and give off their light in the form of their vision, values, gifts, and talents.

At the same time, coaches often act as mirrors, reflecting back to each individual this same light to support and synergize with them in order to enhance their power, focus, and effectiveness.

Exercise:

How can you play the role of candle and mirror today as you support others and pursue your own excellence journey?

observation and reflection

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“It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way.”

– Claude Monet, French impressionist painter

Image of Monet Water Lillies painting

Image from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This past summer, I had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and saw some of Monet’s work. It is said that he rejected traditional approaches to landscape painting and instead of copying old masters, began learning from nature itself. He particularly took note of variations of color and light caused by daily or seasonal changes.

Exercise:

How can you find your own way to live your life and pursue your goals on your own strength of observation and reflection?

Consider checking out Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind, published in 2005, to exercise your right brain in what’s still a pretty left-brained world.

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

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“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

– Peter Drucker, management consultant and author

One of the most important elements of a coaching relationship is the gift of feedback. Many (if not most) of life’s greatest lessons occur following experiential learning, rather than head or book lessons. Drucker, who is considered by many as one of the great pioneers of modern leadership and management, knew this well over the course of his distinguished career.

Exercise:

Practice the following three-step self-coaching exercise to gain greater insight into your efforts and increase your effectiveness:

Step 1: Ask yourself what is working or not working regarding your current efforts.
Step 2: Reflect on what your desired goal or outcome is beyond the current status.
Step 3: Brainstorm alone or perhaps with a friend or colleague some new or different actions that will likely get you to your goal.

Feel free to repeat this process as often as needed.