Recently, I went to my 30th high school reunion. It was a trip both down memory lane but also a wild revisiting of who I was but am no longer. Nostalgia can be a funny thing when we are not really missing who we were and what used to be.
Being at an event where there were people I hadn’t seen in some cases 10 year, 20 years, or since graduation in 1994, I couldn’t help but be launched back into all the thoughts and feelings of old versions of myself. It was a bit disorienting. I don’t really relate to how my 17, 27 or 37 year old self viewed the world or herself.
I don’t know about you but I am often facing forward. Focused on what is next and who I am becoming. Reflecting backwards sometimes is about being grateful to the things I have left behind or appreciation for a better life now. I forgot to pause, reflect, and acknowledge the specific growth or healing that have happened.
On our life journey, a little bit of reflection has a very big impact. So I invite you to look at the questions I sat with post reunion. It was a really eye opening opportunity to love that 17 year old version of myself. Here is what I asked myself:
- What is a significant challenge you faced and overcame? (recent or long ago)
- What did you learn from that experience and/or how did you grow from it? How does it show up now (what you learned and how you grew)?
- What tools did you use to heal or take care of yourself during that experience?
- If you could go back and give yourself some kudos, what would you say?
Healing and growth does not happen accidentally. If you are a spiritual explorer, a seeker or a heart-centered and growth focused person, you know that doing the work to heal takes courage and compassion. So… if you take my invitation to reflect with these questions, would you please share what you discover.
Bright blessings