Thursday 17th March has been designated Social Care Day of Remembrance and Reflection
While most of us are comfortable with the idea of remembrance, the idea of reflection is often associated with meditation which can cause some people to think twice about it.
Reflection
But reflection is a lot easier than you might imagine. It’s also something we do all the time. At its most basic, think of it as a two way process like looking in a mirror.
If I look in the mirror and see that I have a bit of lettuce stuck between my teeth I might decide to clean my teeth.
Now I will probably look in the mirror again.
The mirror might tell me that my teeth are cleaner but not perfectly white.
I ask myself, ‘Do they need to be any whiter? And, if so, what else might I try?’
Reflection is simply a continuing process of exploring the known to reveal the possible.
Practice
Deliberately making some space for reflection in your busy life can feel strange at first but that’s just because you have moved ourselves out of your comfort zone and into something new. Practice is what makes the difference. Making a practice of reflection won’t make us invulnerable. But it will allow us to explore different perspectives on our vulnerabilities. Sadness, anger and grief are inevitable parts of being human. So are gratitude, acceptance, hope and joy. Reflecting on these emotions, which are what make us all human, can make a difference to how we see ourselves and each other. This, in turn, can have a significant effect on our relationships with friends and family, with work colleagues, and with ourselves.
Remembrance
Make some space for refection in your life. Practice. Notice what you focus on.. What we choose to focus on makes us who we are. Allow your attention to shift a little and see what else comes up. Give yourself permission to see some new possibilities.
Time for you
Although the 17th is a day for remembrance and reflection for social care, let it be a time for you too.