Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall… in our Soul… by Michael Podhaczky

If we just stop for a moment and think about our time in isolation to date, “how has it gone?” Has it been filled with the usual stuff, or has there been time to reflect on life? Reflecting on what is going on around us, our own life, our faith, work, family and leisure can be quite helpful. It takes some intentional effort and practice to put this into practice.

When we look into a mirror, we see a reflection of ourselves. There is a helpful tool that can be used to help us see ourselves; it is called ‘Reflective Practice.’ It has been said that,

“Reflective practice is, in its simplest form, thinking about or reflecting on what you do… However, the difference between casual ‘thinking’ and ‘reflective practise’ is that reflective practice requires a conscious effort to think about events and develop insights into them. Once you get into the habit of using reflective practice, you will probably find it useful both at work and at home.”[1]

Neil Thompson, in his book People Skills,[2] has proposed six steps, which can be used to reflect, study, learn and grow in most areas of our lives. These are,

·         Read: So that we can learn and grow

·         Ask: Questions about what you have read, and others about how and why they do things

·         Watch: Be aware of what is going on around us, and develop a sensitivity to life

·         Feel: Listen to our emotions, what triggers them, and how we deal with them

·         Talk: If you can share with those you trust, as this is an essential part of the ‘Reflective Practice.’

·         Think: Two barriers to the ‘Reflective Practice’ are routine and pressure, so we need to see this as an essential part of our life and value time spent thinking about our days

This is not a new idea; people have been doing this since creation. However, it is good to be reminded and be encouraged to use these ‘tools’.  Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, reminded and encouraged his readers to reflectively examine themselves, 2 Cor 13:5. This needs to become a part of a healthy lifestyle.

“Reflective practice is an active, dynamic action-based and ethical set of skills, placed in real time and dealing with real, complex and difficult situations.”[3]

Pause in His presence for a moment and think this over…

---

[1] “Reflective Practice.” https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/reflective-practice.html (28^th April 2020).

[2] Thompson, Neil.  People Skills. (4th edn). (London: Red Globe, 2019), 267-269.

[3] Moon, J. Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice. (Kogan Page, London, 1999),