"Relief of poverty, relief of illness; relief of doubt, relief of ignorance--relief of all that hinders the joy and progress of a woman."
--John A Widtsoe

Monday, February 11, 2013

Filling My Reservoir - Self-Reflection (February)

How Full is My Reservoir?

There is always room in my reservoirs for more water. Sometimes a sprinkling of water will fall into my reservoirs, but the greatest gains are when I put it in myself.

What kind of water do I need to add to my reservoir?

For these first few weeks, I will take some time to reflect upon myself and have a good, honest look at my character. This is not yet the time to act, but to realise.

I will answer these questions for myself. I will be honest, even if it hurts. This is an exercise to take a good, honest and true look at myself. I can acknowledge what I've achieved, what I've done right. I can acknowledge my lacks and my weak spots. I can only begin to fix them if I can identify them.

Time to get to work.


Exercise A

Get a simple notebook and create a journal. Write down the answers to the questions on the following page.

As I populate my journal with the answers to these questions, I will do so with courage. I will not shirk or shy away from anything that might be painful.

I want as true a portrait of myself as I can get. Pretending I am strong in an area that is weak will do me no favours. One of my goals is to overcome my weaknesses, not hide away from them.

This is not an exercise in figuring out how to solve these problems. At this stage, I am merely identifying strengths and weaknesses.

  • How much courage do I possess? Can I act when afraid or unsure or nervous?
  • What are my best qualities? How did they become my best?
  • What are my worst traits? Why are they my worst?
  • What other traits do I possess (or lack) that I have not mentioned above?
  • How is my physical health? What is best about it? What is worst about it?
  • How is my spiritual health? What am I strong in? What am I weak in?
  • How is my mental health? Do I take every opportunity I have to gain knowledge? Do I know what my limitations are?
  • How is my self-awareness and perception?
  • How is my social health? How well do I interact with others? How do they perceive me? (I can--and should--ask select others for the answers to this question. Ask this of someone who will give me an honest answer. They will see traits in me that I may not.)
  • What makes me happiest?
  • What scares me?
  • What do I enjoy the most?
  • What do I avoid the most?
  • What do I want to change most about myself?
  • What is it about myself I wish to keep?
  • Am I honest with myself?