Reflection

Reflection is a multi-layered personal (and group) process of identifying, clarifying, going deeper, making meaning, connections and  gaining insights among different meaningful events that occur inside and outside ourselves. Reflection can bring joyful or painful insights and usually involves the whole person and is embodied. It allows us to become aware that something is happening in and outside us and helps us to name it and thus become more conscious of our learning and behavioral patterns.  The process of reflection can bring us new insights that contribute in giving meaning to experience and allow learning. The awareness that reflection brings empowers us and is our engine for change, growth, development and transformation, which occur by our free choice.

Reflection is usually the first thing we would skip to try and “better utilize time”. However when taking time to reflect, not only we build self awareness, we also contribute in developing our self-regulation, which is the ability to control or redirect our disruptive emotions and impulses and adapt to changing circumstances. The more we reflect on our strengths and how we can build upon them, the more confident we become in expressing our leadership. The more we are self-confident, the more we are able to develop an innovative vision that looks at our emerging future. When in our leadership we display a strong sense of confidence, we convey a positive message to the others about the feasibility of our vision and at the same time we facilitate the trust necessary for successful vision implementation.

By reflecting we are also taking care of ourselves, we understand our strengths and limitations and what we can reasonably accomplish in a finite period of time. We learn how to model ways in which our values are congruent with our behavior and thus develop a culture of respect for ourselves and for the others. At the seminar we offered time and a safe space to experience and to reflect on the impact the different activities had on ourselves and on others.