The Art of Reflective Thinking in 8 Steps (with infographic)

I saw a woman share her very personal relationship story in a video this week.There was a lot of discussion about whether she "should have known bette

I saw a woman share her very personal relationship story in a video this week.

There was a lot of discussion about whether she “should have known better” at her age.

Exchanging love is a risky and too often dangerous, thing in this life. We human beings are not known to be forgiving of the mistakes of others.

Hey, the mistakes of others hurt us deeply sometimes and cause chaos, damage, and destruction. So as a human being, I must process that, and I must deal with that. Sometimes, I must get back with you on that ‘forgiveness’ …..thing after I heal.

But, when we do not forgive ourselves, we may continue to punish ourselves by choosing another hurtful person, abusing substances, neglecting our health, neglecting our healing, neglecting our growth and personal development, neglecting our grooming, choosing fast food love, and choosing hate.

To grow wiser, you must be kind and forgiving to yourself.

Each and every time… Learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself.

Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”-Maya Angelou

30 Days of Self-Compassion for Stress-Relief (ebook) | WE Survive Abuse

Life
is an incredible journey filled with ups and downs, triumphs and failures.

Failure. We human beings are mostly afraid of failure. But
what if I told you that there is a way to learn from your mistakes and repeat
your successes, ultimately maximizing your progress and creating a more
fulfilling life?

Mistakes
have value: you can learn from them.

Reflective
Thinking
Reflective thinking is the art of

observing our experiences
evaluating their
outcomes
and critically analyzing the causes behind them.

By Living our lives with this degree of intentional awareness, we can;

identify patterns
learn from past mistakes
and replicate our
victories.

1. Embrace the Power of Evaluation:
Every day presents us with opportunities for growth. For yet another win.

At the end of each day,
take a moment to reflect on both the positive and negative experiences you
encountered. Celebrate the wins and courageously acknowledge the challenges.

2. Unveil the Root Causes:
Interrogate circumstances surrounding your outcomes. Ask yourself why
certain events unfolded as they did. Was there something within your control
that contributed to the positive or negative result?

3. Lessons as Catalysts for Change:
Once you have identified the causes, use this newfound knowledge to your
advantage. Determine how you can avoid negative outcomes and foster positive
ones. Cultivate solutions and strategies that will empower you on your path
forward.

4. Crafting Your Action Plan:
Transform your insights into actionable steps. From committing to beating
procrastination to adopting mindful habits, design a comprehensive plan that
transforms your intentions into tangible achievements.

5. Visualization: Manifesting Your Desired Future:
Harness the power of visualization by envisioning yourself embodying the
changes you wish to make. See yourself succeeding. See yourself living the outcome that you want. Embrace the positive
impact this will have on your life.

6. Facing the Consequences:
Acknowledge the potential consequences of not following through with your
desired changes. By embracing the seriousness of the situation, you motivate
yourself to persevere and avoid the pain of staying stagnant and loitering in your comfort zone.

7. Overcoming Resistance:
Change can be challenging. Resistance may arise. Fear may appear too. But avoid letting resistance and fear to overthrow your entire strategy.

Monitor your thoughts and
feelings, letting go of negativity and embracing the courage to evolve. Keep turning to real-life inspirations who
have conquered obstacles and emerged stronger.

8. Monitoring and Adjusting:
As you embark on your transformational journey, remember that habits take time
to solidify. They take time to set. Be patient with yourself and extend yourself grace. Change is hard. That’s why so many people try to avoid it.

Monitor your progress,

Stay committed to your plan.

Make necessary adjustments along the way.

Celebrate milestones achieved.

Embrace
continuous improvement.

You got this!

Reflective Thinking Music

(some of my favorites)