Inner Reflection

39 years ago while on a mission for my church in South Korea, my grandfather wrote me a letter and asked if I was someone who set goals at the beginning of the year to accomplish something or someone who was content in trying to do their best throughout the year.

I am more of the former–someone who tries to do their best in any given situation.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t have or set goals for myself.

It seems at the beginning of the year is a time when many people think about what they want to accomplish that year.

The first step in setting a goal like this, or in evaluating where you are at during the year, is to have some time of inner reflection; or a self evaluation.

It’s hard to know where you want to go or what you want to do, if you don’t know first where you are.

In the Bible in 2nd Corinthians it challenges us to “Examine Yourselves”.

We all need to take time to look inside and discover who we are and ask ourselves are we the type of person we want to be. Is our external demeaner or person a reflection of what we are inside, or is it something else?

If we want to be more or do more, then we start where we are at now and figure out actions–or goals– to be where we want to be.

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

Peter Drucker

Take time to reflect, re-adjust or re-prioritize if needed, and then put a plan into action that can propel you forward. Our self examination or reflection should prompt actions. There is always something we can do better.

You never know what you can become until you start to know who you are and that knowledge starts with an inner reflection.

For me, that reflection helps to re-center my relationship with God and my family, and if needed, to re-align my actions to accomplish the goals I have for myself.