We know that we need to repeat things in order to get better at them, but a lot of the reflective aspects of our practice are considered one and done. We don't think of reflection as a practice in and of itself, but more like it's a check on our other practices.
I think it's useful to take a moment to explore the meaning of the word reflect. It has quite a few meanings! Of course it can be a physical thing, like how light reflects off of something shiny or how a mirror creates an image of something. But it can also mean to think deeply or carefully about. This is the meaning I want to focus on (though there is a bit of the first couple, especially in how we often reflect ON something we have done or experienced, creating a 'reflection' of the thing through the lens of our own perspective).
But when we sit down to reflect, we are in essence reacting to a previous version of ourselves. We might want to reflect on moments in our past, on a ritual or reading we have done, on how our life is going, or on a shadow aspect of our self...or a million other things. Reflecting allows us to really dive deep into what happened and explore things that we might have missed in the moment (I often find that I recognize patterns easier later on).
Another value of reflection is that we can revisit things when we are in a better headspace. Sometimes, experiences are so intense we can't really process them in the moment. We need some space from our own emotions, or perhaps we weren't able to think clearly (we might not have had time to stop and think). For this kind of reflection, it can be really handy to jot down some really quick notes, as soon as you can after the experience. Especially if there are bits you know you want to explore when you have time, that way you don't forget the important parts.
And while sitting down and reflecting is great on it's own, there is also something to be said for repeated reflections on the same topic or question. It's something I've been working with this year (as my planner has the exact same five reflection questions each week), and I'm finding that it's really working for me right now (though I've also tried the same thing a couple of years back and found it tedious, so you might need to play with the questions and frequency of reflection to find what works best for you).
One thing I've discovered is that it's okay to not write something new when you do a repeated reflection. This is something I really struggled with early on (and also in my gratitude practice, which can be a similar repeated practice). I felt like I had to come up with something unique every time I answered a question, instead of just writing what I felt in that moment.
Here's the thing though. Even if your feelings are similar, you sometimes come up with small nuances that you might not have discovered if you only answered the question once. And even if it is the exact same answer, that gives you information on how often you get the same answer for a question.
For example, one of the questions I've been reflecting on this year is "How can I help others or be of service?" This is often a very tricky one for me, as I mostly stay at home (we do grocery shopping on the weekend, and might see friends, but most of my time it's just me and maybe hubby when he's not working). So, there are weeks where I don't really have an answer to this question.
And here's the interesting bit. Even though I don't always have a good answer, by continually asking myself, I stop and think about it each week. I try to think of a way to be of service to someone, even if it's just a tiny thing. Or maybe I'll find something helpful to do around the house. Maybe it means I go out of my way to say something nice to the checkout person at the grocery. But it's all stuff that I wouldn't have thought of if I hadn't been constantly asking myself the same question!
Another way to think about reflections is the light concept. When you reflect on an image, it's like putting up a mirror. But that mirror only shows one side of the thing. In order to see the image more completely, you need more mirrors. Each time you reflect, you add another mirror. Eventually you can see so much more than you first can, because you have so many mirrors to look into!
And that can be a much easier way to tackle something big and upsetting. By reflecting many times, you don't have to do such a deep dive each time. You can reflect on as much as you feel comfortable with, and then put it aside for a bit. When you are ready, you can come back to it, read over your previous reflection, and add something new.
For this kind of reflection, it can definitely be helpful to keep your reflections together. Reading through previous reflections helps you gain perspective and insight. You can notice the patterns that show up in your reflections, and you can also see the growth! Perhaps something you struggled with a lot early on doesn't show up in your reflections anymore, but when you read back to the early days, you can see how far you've grown!
Whatever your path, I definitely think reflection is a great tool to take along with you. I also believe it's greatest strength lies in returning to your reflections and adding to them...repeating the reflection so that you can experience and see your own growth!
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