Mental Health Journal – October 9, 2024 – Self Reflection Is Necessary

Have you looked in the mirror lately? Yes, I mean that literally because we must ensure we are presentable before leaving the house. I also mean it in the figurative sense. Have you looked in the metaphorical mirror lately? Do you think you would like what you would see? In our society, we seem to have zero issue telling someone else to “look in the mirror” but we do not like that mirror to be pointed at us.

What are some reasons people are scared to take time for self-reflection? After all, to be mentally strong and healthy, one must engage in self-reflection from time to time.

Are you scared of what you might see?

Or, are you impressed by what you see?

I have been scared and impressed by what I saw in the mirror at certain points in my life. While it is good to have healthy self-esteem if one is consistently and overly impressed by themselves then that is usually because of some arrogance at best and could lead to narcissism at worst. At the same time, it is not healthy to constantly be scared of what one sees in the mirror. While it should be scary for those who need to be humbled and it is healthy to be a little critical of one’s self at times it is also detrimental to one’s mental health if one is constantly critical and afraid to engage in self-reflection.

So, are you like the cat in the image above startled by your life, personality, or current state? That could mean that you need to make some changes or maybe your self-esteem is too low.

Or, are you overly impressed by yourself like the man in the image above who seems to enjoy looking at himself? In that case, you may have made great progress recently and need to give yourself a pat on the back. It could also mean you should humble yourself and remember whose glory you are working for!

The key to the entire situation is being willing to take an honest assessment of one’s self. Self-reflection is necessary and key to growing our mental health.

I have had to take steps to look at the metaphorical mirror in front of me at times. In some cases, I needed humbling because I was thinking too highly of myself. Other times, life had beaten me down and I needed to remember that I am a child of King Jesus and He has work for me to do.

This type of self-reflection can be done on a macro (big picture) or a micro (case-by-case) basis. There will be times when you will need to pause and consider where you have been, where you are, and where you are going. You may have just finished a project or season in your life and it could be a great time for self-reflection. It is also good to keep a running tally so to speak and make sure that you maintain a good awareness of one’s self.

This is not always easy and I have had to work hard so that I am neither scared nor overly impressed but simply have a healthy assessment of myself. I pray that you will as well.