Day 14 - Reflections Part 1 Reflecting on one's Life

In all lives there are periods of activity and busyness. However sometimes, a slot of time comes along when we are asked to reflect. This is one such moment. The world is being stilled. Everyone is being drawn back into a womb.

A womb is a safe place where we seem alone and yet we are held within the home and love of the mother holding us. If we listen, we can hear her heartbeat. Within this place there is very little we can do. Instead we are asked just to ‘be’. We are asked to stop and reflect on our lives and on the world we live within.

If we could take a blank sheet of paper and write down the most important values this world should be embracing, what would they be? Would they be kindness and gentleness and compassion and generosity and camaraderie? Or would they be the survival of the fittest, climbing a ladder, taking care of yourself, making as much money as you can, taking from Peter to pay Paul? If you were to design the world from scratch, what would you put in and what would you leave out?

This is a good exercise to do, because it helps you get in contact not only with yourself but also with what you value and place importance upon. Having designed an ideal world, what part would you want to play in bringing those hopes, dreams and values into being? For these things will never just appear. Seeds must be planted, fed and watered. If these things are important to you, do something to help them grow.

Too many blame the politicians or the church or society or their family upbringing for there not being more beauty in this world. But we are part of our nation or religion or family and we have as much a part to play as they do.

This is the time to reflect on your life. Is it all you hoped it would be? If not, why not? If you are on a dead end road, how can you leave it behind? If you only have six months left to live, how would you choose to live that time? What would be important to you? Would your life look and taste and feel different to how it does today?

Life is very precious, but sometimes we take her for granted. She can become a little bit like our mother when we are a child. We expect cooked food on the table and our washing done and our rooms cleaned. But what happens when our mother leaves for a while? We begin to notice all she does for us and we start to be grateful for all the unseen hundreds of ways she blesses us each and every day.

This world and life is your mother. She is asking you to once more become aware of her. You are held lovingly in her womb. Just rest and be here and dream more about the world you are capable of beginning to design in your family, neighbourhood and community. Reflect on what life is saying to you at this time. Learn to listen to her and begin dialogueing with her and yourself.

This is a break from everyday normality. A pause button has been pressed. Everyone is being called inside to listen to themselves and to the heartbeat of the mother holding them.

Take a blank sheet of paper and write down what you believe should be the most important values this world should be embracing.

If you were to design the world from scratch, what would you put in and what would you leave out?

Having designed an ideal world, what part would you want to play in bringing your hopes, dreams and values into being?

Reflecting on your life, is it all you had hoped it would be? If not why?

If you are on a dead-end road, how can you leave it behind?

If you only had 6 months left to live, how would you choose to live during that time? What would be important to you? In what ways would your life look and taste and feel different to the one you are living today?