Reflection is sometimes referred to as “metacognition,” or thinking about your thinking. That may sound daunting or narcissistic. It’s neither. Being able to stand back from your own thoughts is an incredibly powerful way to take control of your life. That’s because your thinking creates your perception of your world. Your perception, your belief about what is true, is your reality.

Your perceptions are real. However your perceptions are not The Truth. The Truth is what you’d have if you were omnipotent and all-knowing. Instead, what you have is your truth, and with any luck, bits and pieces of other people’s truths. Reflection by stopping, looking, and seeing is part of learning to recognize your truth as part of, yet separate from, The Truth. It’s also part of learning to see yourself as you are, not as you wish to be, not as you imagine yourself to be.

Return to the situation you described yesterday and ask: What am I telling myself about this? Be alert for words like: always, never, everybody, nobody, people, they, must, have to, everything. Take special note of evaluations and meanings. One definition of believe is to judge, another is what is held to be true. This is an exercise in hearing yourself and what you hold to be true: you may need to talk aloud to get the full effect.

Want to learn more about 40-Days Forward? Start here.