When was the last time you lay awake replaying something you could no longer change? When was the last time you fixated on the one thing that went wrong and not the ten that went right? These are both examples of reflection. We reflect more than you think. Yet dwelling on the past in such a manner lacks purpose. We look back but we don’t take anything forward.
I want to focus on positive reflection. Positive reflection ends with a next step, an intention to act. Over half term I saw a sign in Stowe, Vermont that resonated with me. It said: “Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it.” That 90% is your next step. But this step requires direction. Matthew McConaughey recounted his in an Oscars’ speech. When asked who his hero was, McConaughey said, “Me in 10 years.” That was his answer at 15 years old, and when asked if he was his hero ten years later, his answer was “Not even close,” so he set the target ten years ahead again. Having someone to chase kept him moving. This is positive reflection: measuring yourself against who you want to be, and acting on your thoughts.
Perhaps a more timely example of reflection is Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, which encourages people to look back on the year. Homes are cleaned, families gather, and light is welcomed in, a fresh start for the year ahead. It is a chance to ask what you want to leave behind and who you want to become.
But why does this matter to you? For me, the answer is self-improvement. A study carried out by Harvard University found that those who spent 15 minutes reflecting at the end of the day performed 23% better on their final assessment. Whether it is a mock, a match, or a friendship, reflection gives you a next step, and this is what makes you better.
Can you take the initiative? Can you make the choice to reflect with purpose and intention? Can you take the extra 10 minutes the next time your Biology teacher asks you to complete a gap analysis, or your English teacher asks you to rewrite a paragraph from your Macbeth essay?
I’ll leave you with the words of Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” So, the next time you’re lying awake replaying something, ask yourself: “What’s my next step?”
Henry
Senior Prefect