Questions To Ask Ourselves On A Regular Basis (Part 2)

In my previous blog I gave some tips on questions to ask yourself to experience the power of self-reflection.

Here are some more that will assist you in taking stock of where you are now, and make choices about where you are going!

Am I thinking negative thoughts before I fall asleep?

“Insomniacs know that there is something about the night. A darkness, an energy, a mystery that shrouds things. It hides things at the same time as it illuminates them. It is this thing that allows us to examine our thoughts in a way that we can’t during the day. It is this thing that brings truth and clarity.” – Courtney Cole

When we finally lay down to sleep is when we unplug from everything and finally achieve a measure of clarity, clarity that prompts reflection.

Your last thoughts before falling asleep reveal a lot about what’s going on in your life.

If they’re consistently negative, try to identify a pattern of what may be causing them and then seek to address the stressors.

Am I putting enough effort into my relationships?

“Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.” – J.K. Rowling

Over time, we can begin to take our relationships for granted. Flames die out, naturally, and novelty wears off. In consequence, this requires constant effort to allow the relationships to grow.

Moving away from family, for instance, requires lots of effort to stay connected and stay close.

If you don’t want to find yourself losing various individuals in your life, make sure that you’re dedicated towards maintaining your relationships.

Am I taking care of myself physically?

“To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” – Buddha

We have everything working against us as we get older – more work hours to put in, a family to take care off, decreased energy levels and a slowed metabolism, just to name a few.

Our physical well-being can, in turn, be put on the back burner if we’re not aware.

Keep an idea of where you want to be physically in the next few years and don’t let that image slip away from you.

Am I letting matters that are out of my control stress me out?

“The reason many people in our society are miserable, sick, and highly stressed is because of an unhealthy attachment to things they have no control over.” – Steve Maraboli

The biggest waste of effort we can make is to stress out about things that are outside of our realm of control.

A completely unnecessary but inevitably common phenomenon that can ruin our days, our health, and our mental well-being.

Make sure to continuously identify your stress factors and work towards eliminating any worries about things that you can’t control.

Am I achieving the goals that I’ve set for myself?

“Those who do not move, do not notice their chains.” – Rosa Luxemburg

This question is necessary to consider on a frequent basis. We all have a general vision of where we want to be in five or 10 years, but it’s a very obscure glimpse based around general accomplishments.

PsychologyToday.com reports: “In life, people have many goals (e.g. exercise more, be a better spouse, save more money). However, goals often go unrealised because people lack self-awareness…Thus, to improve our chances of reaching our goals, we must remain aware of our current behaviour.”

It’s helpful to examine the visions of our future selves in close detail and break down everything that must be done in order to achieve them. Don’t solely focus on the where and what – consider the how.

Through frequent self-reflection, we can make sure that we’re on the right path.

Lack of self-reflection can cause us to seem lost or without a purpose.

Time flies by and without consciously evaluating our circumstances, we can let so many aspects of our lives slip away: our health, our relationships, our goals.

It’s necessary for us to unplug for a few minutes every now and again, when possible, and address a variety of the questions, including those listed above.

“Whether it’s Buddhists engaging in meditation, alcoholics at AA meetings, or philosophers of the Enlightenment studying the texts of Immanuel Kant, being aware of ourselves is an essential step in self-improvement.” – Allen R. McConnell, www.psychologytoday.com