Shhhh. Silence the sounds around you. Reflect, and reflect deeply. “Who am I?” A question calling for an answer. Can you hear it?
As service-providing entrepreneurs, we must know ourselves well if we are to reach our full potential as business owners. We must know ourselves well if we are to make the difference we’re here on earth to make. Though it may sound like a contradiction, focused self reflection helps us serve others with excellence.
Focused self reflection helps us find, follow, and fulfill our divine calling.
“It is necessary … for a man to go away by himself … to sit on a rock … and ask, ‘Who am I, where have I been, and where am I going?”
~Carl Sandburg
Do you know who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going? We often get so caught up in the “doing” that we fail to carve out time to sit on a rock, or walk along the beach, and reflect. At least I do. Maybe you’re different.
I recall a time in law school when I was so caught up in “doing” that the assistant rector of my church, a short fellow with a red bushy beard, took me aside and said, “Jory, just BE.” He introduced me to the works of Henri J.M. Nouwen and gently yet urgently suggested that I embark on an even deeper inner journey of my soul. He told me that God loved me unconditionally–that I didn’t have to do anything to earn His love or to pay Him back for all of the grace bestowed upon me. I did, however, need to spend significant time in self reflection, contemplating who I am as a child of God. Only then, he said, would I be able to serve others with excellence and fulfill my purpose here on earth.
I wish I could tell you it’s been an easy journey…. that just a few sessions of rock sitting and beach walking did the trick… that after just a few sessions I knew exactly who was looking back at me in the mirror and exactly how I could serve others best. I wish I could…or do I?
There’s something magical about the process of self-discovery, about the process of self-reflection. Though our God-given purpose doesn’t change, our understanding of it does. When we stop asking the questions, we run the risk of trying to take charge of our own lives or living a day-to-day superficial existence. Hmmm. Sounds dreadful. More rock sitting please.
To get started, carve out time alone with God on a regular basis… on a rock, at the beach, in your garden, on your sofa… to seek answers to these timeless questions:
- Who am I at my core?
- Whom am I meant to serve?
- How am I meant to serve them?
- What gifts and strengths do I have to offer?
- What effect do my gifts and strengths have on those I’m serving?
- What problem am I meant to solve –> what is my mission at this stage of my life?
Ask. Listen. Reflect. Serve.
And please, if you would be so kind, come back to share your insights in the comment box below. Your words may be exactly what my readers and I need to hear.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened.” Luke 11: 9-10
May the Lord bless you and keep you and be gracious unto you.
Jory – This is great advice! We all are in this business to make a difference but it’s so easy to move away from who we are. Reflecting on what we are here to accomplish often can certainly help keep us on track — and help us make the impact for good we are all capable of making!
Thanks, Carol. It’s so easy to get mired down in the muck and obligations of day-to-day living that we fail to remember our Why. Discovering and remembering and honoring our true purpose helps us make meaningful decisions and lead truly meaningful lives.
Jory,
What a beautiful post.
One of my favorite quotes is that God created us to be Human Beings, not Human Doings.
But more often than not, we find security in what we do, rather than in who we are.
This is because of a number of reasons, but at the core of our being we have false preconceptions that our value is based upon performance. This needs to be eradicated from our hearts, and we need to embrace the FACT that our value is based upon what our Creator says about us, not upon how well we perform.
More often than not, this revelation comes from spending time “on the rock”, alone with Him, listening to His secure voice.
Thanks for the inspiring post
-Martin
Yes, indeed! Having a firm foundation under our bums (sorry….) will get us through the tough times and help us appreciate the good times even more. It’s our spiritual growth and development God cares about most, not our accomplishments!
Thank you for your insight, Martin.
Jory, this post so reminds me of one of my favorite songs, “Who Am I”. A great reminder that we don’t know who we are really and truly except as we reflect on … who was I created to be?
Yes, yes. Who am I created to BE is far more important than what am I created to DO!!!!
Thank you, Rachel!!!
Jory, this really caught my attention “We often get so caught up in the “doing” that we fail to carve out time to sit on a rock, or walk along the beach, and reflect.” I have been thinking a lot about that lately, and have made sure that I stop and do this. For me, it is at the beach, or with the horses. It is in quiet, that I can reflect..
I love what that wise man said to you about “just be.” Powerful! Sometimes we get too caught up in the doing. We must be sure we are hearing the Lord’s still small voice every day. Blessings, Amy
So true, Amy. So very, very true!!!
Thank you for your insight!
Hugs,
Jory
“…or with the horses.” Ahhh, I love that, Sigrid. Brings a beautiful picture to my mind’s eye. Isn’t it intriguing though how Solitude and Nature help ground us better than anything else? We need to carve out that precious time or the duties of the day will demand our time and attention.
Thank you for your contribution!
Warmly,
Jory
As you know, my friend, I’ve had to do a lot of reflecting in my life lately…and I think it’s a fluid kind of thing that we never really stop doing ( or at least we shouldn’t!) I love your reminder to “Ask. Listen. Reflect. Serve.” Simple and profound! Love you girl!
Oh Eryn…….. you just brought tears to my eyes. How well you know the value of making regular “deposits” so that, when necessary, we have reserves to draw upon. You and your entire family are examples to us all. Thank you and bless you, lovely lady.
xxoo
Jory
Beautiful post Jory!
You’re precious, Mary Lou. Thank you! I’m glad it spoke to you…
Jory, this is fabulous. Some of the most insightful and brilliant moments for me have been when I do nothing but listen. I listen to that still small voice and get refreshed. Thanks for reminding me about that wonderful place called solitude that I so often overlook.
Thank you, Alex. It’s way too easy to charge into our day without charging up our spiritual batteries. Gee, I wonder whose agenda we’re following when we don’t take time to pray and meditate first????
Jory,
So many great truths here about self reflection. In my life, I have found that self reflection and time in God’s Word need to be in balance. Perhaps you already talk about this elsewhere on your site too. I can self-reflect all day long, but if i’m not reminded of what is True from His Word, then my self-reflection can sometimes get me into trouble. (ie. based on my feelings at the time, or solely what I think is right) I have a dear friend who practices “listening prayer” and uses what she “hears” during her times of reflection as though God really spoke it to her…like she has some new revelation that she holds even higher than Scripture. This is not right. This is not good theology. And it has often led her into seasons of great confusion. We always need to check our motives and times of reflection with what God says in His Word…making sure we align ourselves with Truth.
Bless you, Bonnie. What a wise woman of faith you are! Yes, yes, yes. Meditating on the written Word is vital to living a Spirit-Guided life. I can’t imagine getting through the trials and challenges of my day/week/year/lifetime without being grounded in God’s Word. And while I agree that it can be dangerous to simply assume that what we’re hearing during times of reflection is a direct revelation from the Lord, God does speak to us loudly and clearly if we are open to hearing His messages. I love “listening prayer” or “two-way prayer” or however else it might be called. I just need to ensure that it is God’s Voice I’m listening to, not the voices of my own psyche. And, if what we’re hearing contradicts the Holy Scriptures…. then, Houston, we’ve got a problem.
Bonnie, I love you! Thank you so much for giving this post so much thought.
Warmly,
Jory