Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Morning Motivation - The Power of Reflection | Turning Inward at the End of the Year

Episode Date: December 26, 2022

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If you'd like to enjoy Wake Me Up completely ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content, check out the link in the show notes for the Wake Me Up premium feed. Good morning and welcome to Wake Me Up. I'm your host, Tyler, and I'm so glad that you're here today. We're coming to the end of another year, and it's always a good time to turn inward and do some self-reflection. So this week's episodes will be focused on helping you do exactly that. And today, we're going to talk about the power of going inward and how we can practice self-reflection to make our lives better. But before we dive in, just take a moment to

pause and think back on everything that's happened this year. The good, the bad, and everything in between. You've probably had some really great moments this year and probably a few tough ones as well. But no matter what happened, there's something to be grateful for. You've made it through another year. You've been given the chance at another full year of life. And that's something really special. Most importantly, no matter what's happened, you've learned and you've grown. You've become a bigger and a better person. So take a deep breath in and fill up with appreciation for all of the growing and learning you've done this year. And as you exhale, let go of any negative thoughts that you're holding onto from this past year.

It's time to move forward, let go of those negative things, and search for bigger and better opportunities. Now, feel free to go about your morning routine, doing whatever you like to do, whether that's making a cup of coffee or tea, having a stretch or going for a walk. Whatever you choose to do, just let me be your morning companion. And let's talk about the power of taking some time

to turn inward and reflect. The end of the year is a natural time for reflection and introspection. It's a perfect chance to take stock of the past year and consider what we've accomplished and where we might want to go and make changes in the coming year. Turning inward and reflecting can be a really powerful exercise. It allows us to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves,

our values, and our goals. It can help us identify patterns in our behaviors and thought processes, both good ones and bad ones. And from that, we can learn where we might want to make adjustments. In short, reflection, allows us to take stock of everything. We can see the choices we made that went well and which ones we can improve on.

But reflection isn't just useful for the self. It can also help us better understand and appreciate other people and events that have shaped our lives. It can improve our relationships and our interactions with others, because by considering our own motivations and actions, we become more self-aware and more attuned to the needs and feelings of others.

This can help us communicate more effectively and build stronger, more meaningful relationships. The hard thing is that introspection requires slowing down. For some people, slowing down is really difficult. I know I can relate to that. Many of us are busy bodies. We're always seeking to be productive. But when we spend too much time being active, constantly in a doing state, the body and mind can react negatively.

And we don't get to use the tool of reflection to improve our mindset and our habits going forward. So it's vital that we take opportunities to slow down from time to time. The people who spend time going inward and reflecting are more likely to do the things that make them feel good. They're more likely to have stronger relationships. They're more likely to accept themselves, and they're more likely to lead a fulfilling and happy life. The end of the year is a natural inflection point. It reminds us that this opportunity of life is fleeting, but that shouldn't scare us. In fact, it should excite us to move forward, knowing that we have more opportunities to change, grow, and learn.

And it's crucial to use this inflection point at the end of the year to spend some time reflecting. As Abraham Lincoln said, if I only had an hour to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 45 minutes sharpening my axe. My friend, reflecting on how we spend our active moments, makes us more efficient and effective at chasing our dreams. As I say over and over on this show,

you can do anything that you want in life, but you can't do everything. Reflection is such a crucial part of being able to prioritize what's important to you. We have to look back to be able to recognize what we're wasting time on, who we're wasting time on, who we're waiting. wasting time on, so that we can put our limited resources of life towards the things that

really matter the most to us. And perhaps even more importantly, reflection helps us understand ourselves. The journey of life is one that is mostly made up of learning who you are. What makes you tick? What gets you excited? And what makes you happy and fulfilled? So use this opportunity to take a deeper dive into who you are, who you want to be, and the life that you want to build. One thing is for sure.

You can make this journey of life into whatever you want it to be. But to do that, you must go through life mindfully. You must go through life making the choices that are your own. and not allowing others to dictate your life for you. So use this time, this natural inflection point at the end of the year, to look back on who you've become these past 365 days, and to look forward on who you want to become over the course of the next year. The choice is all yours,

and the only factor that will determine whether you become that person you dream to be or not is whether you spend the time to figure out exactly who that person is and then you spend the time becoming them. I know that you can do it, and I can't wait to see who you become. Now, before I sign off for today, I want to thank you for being here and joining me for yet another year of Wake Me Up. It's the third year that I've done this show. And each year, more and more of you show up

to join me in being positive and spreading good vibes. So thank you for your time, for your listenership, and for your energy. I hope that you find value from this show because that is the only reason I make it. I'll be back for a meditation tomorrow that will do exactly what we've been talking about in this episode, helping you reflect. So I hope to see you there.

And until then, go out and have an absolutely fantastic day.