Picture this! A mother and her son are both getting ready for school in the morning. She’s a teacher, he’s a high school student. They are both heavily engrossed in their morning routines. The mother calls for him to get his lunch money, the usual $1.25; however, this day, it was different. Instead of the usual 1-dollar bill and various arrangements of coins, she hands him a knotted-up handkerchief with 125 pennies. The son embarrassed but not wanting to seem ungrateful takes the handkerchief already having made up his mind that he will not eat that day. He will not take the risk of enduring the looks and comments from his classmates. So…he doesn’t eat that day, but he also makes a decision that will be a driving force for the rest of his life! He will work hard, for as long as he can, to be sure that his family and future family will always have everything they need in life. That son was ME. Today, January 23, 2023, is my 48th birthday. I often reflect on that memory and many more. Those memories give me insight into myself. They drive me. They motivate me. They inspire me. These random and sometimes purposeful opportunities of reflection allow me to identify relevant and repeated themes in my life. As a result, I’m able to create my own personal blueprint of success. This is what makes reflections so powerful.
As you mature, the power of reflection allows you to develop different perspectives. As a young man I thought only of this moment as a personal motivator and driver for my success. It was not until I had my own kids that I reflected on how my mom must have felt in that moment. How did she feel about having to give me 125 pennies? How did she feel about having to scrape together money so that I could eat? And my biggest AHA! If she was giving me 125 pennies, that must have meant she was either doing the same for herself or worse, she was going without so that I could. The sacrifice, the selflessness, the inspiration. I love my mom and this insight deepened that love. It made me realize how strong she was. I constantly challenge myself to demonstrate the same strength and care for the people in my life that same way. The power of reflection cannot only develop your perspective but elevate it!
Life comes at us fast. Carpools, zoom meetings, kid’s sports, bills, tv shows. They all compete for our time. In our efforts to balance it all, time for reflection often gets overlooked or pushed to a special day. We reserve birthdays, weddings, and sadly funerals to seriously reflect on the things that have materially affected our lives. My challenge to you is to take time daily to reflect. While reflecting over your life will help you create a blueprint of success for your life. Reflecting daily will allow you to refine that blueprint to help you gain insights and be successful in the season your life is currently in. We all need inspiration. And after all, what is an inspiration? It’s You. It’s Your Life. It’s Your Story.
Jarvis – I relate to your story this week. For me it was elementary school, when I wanted, pleaded for pair of Nike’s. All the cool kids had them. My parents couldn’t afford Nike. So, I got the Payless shoe store brand. At the time, I hated those shoes and all the ridicule that came with them from the other kids. As I look back on that time (and many others), I realize and appreciate that my parents were giving their best at that time. Now, I’m extremely thankful for these lessons they taught me. It has made me a better parent, husband, co-worker, etc.
Reflection often leads me to another important part of life – Gratitude. I was in a discussion group recently where we talked about the power of Gratitude. Focusing on those things on a regular basis is so good for me and allows me to see how blessed I am. Today, my son and I traded texts listing 5 things for which we are grateful. And as I “Reflect” on your topic today, here are five more things on my list: my parents and the life lessons they taught me; the sunshine today that broke through the winter cold; the nursing home staff caring for my dad; my wife who bought me my favorite toffee candy; and your blog that has challenged my thinking!
Keep up the good work, my friend! Can’t wait to see next week’s post.