Personal reflection means asking the questions that provoke self-awareness. Nothing is truly yours unless you understand it – not even yourself. Our feelings are raw but until you grasp why you are happy, angry or anxious, the truth in these feelings are useless. When you understand, then you know what to do.
For example, many of us have been yelled at by a superior at work and being afraid to subsequently voice our view by confronting the person in an appropriate way or even yelling back! Later, we yell at a spouse, child or friend who has done nothing to deserve it. Such displaced emotions diminish our lives towards the negative. In psychology, this is called projection.
This is not a suggestion to yell back at a superior or others if they affront us. Understanding our initial response to a particular situation is the answer. It is further crucial for personal development to define constructive, appropriate and meaningful responses towards others in particular situations where we are convinced that we were wronged.
A practical way to start this process is to write down a few negative and destructive responses you have had to particularly difficult situations in the last day or two. Attempt to understand why you acted in a particular way and what in yourself has caused this; it means reflecting on how you could have handled a particular situation better.
