Reflective Practice 1

In thinking about our first event for Reflective Practice, I find myself reflecting not only on our meeting, but also on the goals and nature of the course. One of the reasons I was attracted to CCT was the program’s emphasis on reflection. Investing time and energy into introspection and personal reflection can be extremely difficult; it is incredibly easy to run from moment to moment, day to day, year to year without actually thinking about what I’m doing, how I’m feeling, and why. I appreciate both the program and the class for pushing me to make space for thoughtful reflection.

The first event was interesting because it involved reflection on my own life, while also exposing me to the lives and experiences of others. The autobiographical activity is simple but effective. It encouraged me to think about and share my experiences while giving me a chance to learn from the diverse backgrounds of other members of the CCT community.

One thing I noticed in the activity was the affect of my energy level on my ability to both share and receive insight from others. I was tired and a little distracted at the event, and I struggled with how to summarize my life story, and instinctively found myself pulling back from fully engaging with others. While it’s not surprising that it is harder to engage with myself and others when I’m tired, it’s something important to think about. It’s so easy to always be busy, to always be tired, to never push myself to engage internally or externally. With that in mind, it’s important to make sure I’m saving energy and investing it in thoughtful introspection and meaningful conversations with others.

That’s where the CCT program and this class play a powerful role. All three of my classes this semester (Creative Thinking, Philosophy and Reflective Practice), force me to make time for thinking and meditating, push me to open myself, despite distractions or surface reluctance. While I sometimes initially resist (“I don’t want to write another reaction piece!”), it almost always feels valuable and satisfying once I start the reflection process.

That’s an interesting thing about reflection. It often feels so difficult to make time for reflection, and it’s so easy not to do, but when I do make the time and energy for it I feel better. Reflection helps me see the patterns and structures that are affecting my life, gives me insight into my challenges and offers a chance to engage with others in meaningful ways. But it’s so hard to make time to do!

Why is that? I think part of it is just habit; it’s not built into my life. Part of it is laziness; it’s easier not to do it. Part of it social influence; reflection doesn’t seem ingrained or appreciated in our society as a whole.

Again, that’s what makes the CCT program, and the class, a unique opportunity. They offer a rare corner of the world that encourages and facilitates reflection, that pushes me to make time for it and validates it as an activity.