reflection – Page 5 – Ruthann M. Wilson

First Things First: Mastering Your Priorities for a Fulfilled Life

Priorities

“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

First things first is a phrase that basically means things that are truly important should be prioritized over less important things. What are less important things? Whatever you decide based on the type of life that you want to live.

First things first is something we all know, but many of us struggle to put into practice on a regular basis. There is often a gap between what we say is important and what we actually do. Over time, the gap can contribute to feelings of being inadequate, inauthentic, off track, etc.

Becoming aware of where we have gaps is the first step to creating better alignment between actions and priorities. If you are experiencing a gap between what you say is important and what you actually do on a day-to-day basis, take a step back and explore the gap. Use what you learn to make changes/adjustments to your personal and/or professional life.

Here’s an activity, best accomplished in writing, to get you started:

Create a list of 3-5 things that are important to you. Be specific as possible. Put them in order.
Reflect on the past three months and record the order in which these things have been a priority in your life.
Is the first thing on your list, first in your life? If not, why not?
Do the things on your list reflect what you (vs. someone else) want for your life?
Identify steps you can take to align your actions with the order of the priorities on your list.
Ask someone you trust to lovingly hold you accountable.
Take action

Priority setting is an effective tool to create focus in your life. It will help you stay true to what matters most in your life.

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All the best,

Ruthann

As Within, So Without: Understand Your Reality

Listen closely Are you familiar with the phrase “as within, so without”? It means your external reality (i.e., physical reality that you see) is a manifestation of your inner reality (i.e., thoughts, beliefs, and emotions).

Your inner reality affects how you live your life each day. Many of us are operating on auto pilot, not fully paying attention to how our inner reality is shaping our lives day to day. If your external reality is not what you desire, take a step back and listen to your life to help you make changes from the inside out.

Questions for reflection (best accomplished in writing):

If my life reflects my inner reality, what is my life telling me right now?
- You can make this question specific to an area of your life that you would like to improve (e.g., if my finances reflect my inner reality, what are my finances telling me about my thoughts/beliefs about money right now?)
What seeds (thoughts/beliefs) have been planted in my mind? Are they seeds of faith or seeds of doubt?
What thoughts/beliefs do I need to replace to create the life that I desire? Affirmations are an effective way to replace disempowering thoughts/beliefs with empowering thoughts/beliefs.

Get clear and take action:

Get clear as to what you would like to change, why you would like to make a change, how and when you plan to make it happen.
Take consistent action and trust the process.

All change in the physical world begins with a change in your mind. Take time to listen to your life. It can help you make changes from the inside out.

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All the best,
Ruthann

Stay Grounded: Cultivating Presence in Daily Life

Earth Woman

Living in the here and now is essential to bringing your vision to life. Check in with yourself on a regular basis to stay grounded and present in your life.

Questions for reflection:

Do I feel comfortable in my body?
Do I feel safe, secure, and nurtured in my home?
Do I feel connected to nature and the cycles of life?
Am I patient with myself and others?
Am I able to focus, plan, organize, take action, and trust the unfolding of my vision?

I have listed a few practical ways to help you stay grounded and present in your life.

Cultivate qualities that support your whole life

Cultivate patience, structure, stability, and a sense of security in your life.
Seek balance and harmony in your life.

Care for Your Body

Tend to your physical well-being with consistency.
Nourish yourself. Rest well. Move with intention.
Love the skin you are in.

Stay open to possibility

Make time for stillness and silence.
Ask, “What is possible for my life?”
When asked in sacred time, a question becomes an invocation for revelation.

Practice Gratitude

Begin and end each day with gratitude.
- In the morning, give thanks for the gift of a new day.
- In the evening, reflect on the gifts, blessings, or life lessons.

Express gratitude to others. Make a point to call, send an email, send a text, write a handwritten note to someone each day expressing gratitude.

Keep a journal to notice and honor what’s unfolding within you.

Cultivate a deep sense of connection to nature and the cycles of life

Spend time in natural settings.
Make direct contact with the earth
- Put your bare feet on the ground, sit down or lay down on ground.
Let the seasons be metaphors for your life.
Witness sunrise and sunset.
Follow the moon’s phases to shape a rhythm of reflection, action and renewal month by month.

The power to create your life is in the here and now. Cultivate habits and practices that help you stay grounded and present in your life.

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All the best,
Ruthann

Weekly Reflection for Personal Growth

Reflection is a powerful way to learn, grow, and keep moving forward. Taking time over the weekend to look back and look forward to the week ahead will help you keep your life in progress and your goals on track. Small changes on a weekly basis can have a tremendous effect on your life.

Make a commitment to spend 15-20 minutes over the weekend (Saturday or Sunday) to first, look back and then, look forward. I have outlined a few questions, best answered in writing, to help get you started.

Look back

What did I accomplish?
What didn’t I accomplish that I wanted to? Why?
What did I learn?
How did I grow?
What’s working/going well?
What’s not working/not going well? What can I do to shift or neutralize what’s not working?
Who or what was my greatest blessing?
How was I a blessing to others?

Look forward

What are my top priorities for the week ahead? Why are these priorities?
Based on my review of last week, what might I do differently in the coming week?

Use the power of reflection on a weekly basis to help you learn, grow, and keep moving forward.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you know someone who might benefit from reading it, please share by clicking on a share button below.

All the best,
Ruthann

Effective Goal Setting: Stay Focused and Thrive

Focus One of the best ways to focus your time, energy, and money is to set a goal. Goals enable you to go from hoping and wishing to manifesting what you desire.

The journey from setting to achieving goals is fraught with obstacles, challenges, and distractions. If we are not laser focused on what truly matters, little by little, we can lose sight of our goals.

It is a great time in the new year to do a progress check. Spend some time today considering the following questions:

Is the way I am spending my time, energy, and money helping me create what I envisioned for my life?
Am I creating and nurturing the relationships I need to bring my goals to life?

If you don’t feel like you are making progress toward your goals, consider taking the following actions:

Keep track of how you are spending your time, energy, and money in a journal or notebook every day for the next seven days. Use the results to see where you need to make adjustments in support of your goals. Small changes on a daily basis can have a big effect.
Make a commitment to nurture your personal and professional network. Commit through action: make a call, send an email, or set up time to meet in person.
Ensure your goals are SMART, use positive language, and affirm what you want to create versus what you want to avoid.

Have fun, make changes where changes are needed, and trust the process in life and in your career as you bring your goals to life.

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All the best,
Ruthann

Why Clarifying Your Values Matters

why

The next time you find yourself looking for a reason why you haven’t started, completed, or followed through on something, take a step back and ask yourself if it is really important to you. If the answer is yes, spend some time exploring why it is important. When you ask yourself why something is important, you are tapping into your personal values.

Your values are always at work in your life whether you are fully aware of them or not. Clarifying them and using them as a guide can change your life. If you haven’t taken the time to clarify your values/what is most important to you in writing, I encourage you to make it a priority. Life flows when you are clear on your values.

We are likely to struggle to keep commitments when they are not clearly connected to personal values. When this happens, commitments tend to be rooted in fear and obligation rather than rooted in your heart.

Today is a great day to evaluate your commitments to ensure they are in alignment with your values. If not, give yourself permission to make changes or let them go.

Clarify what is most important to you and why. It will help you manifest what you desire.

Clarifying your values ensures that your career choices are authentic and sustainable, guiding decisions about roles, promotions, and leadership.

Need support? Be True to You: A Practical Guide to Pursuing an Authentic Path is designed to help you clarify what is most important to you and bring it to life. Click here to learn more about Be True to You.

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All the best,
Ruthann

How to Truly Apologize: Steps for Authentic Repair and Growth

“Never ruin an apology with an excuse.”

—Benjamin Franklin

The best way to say “I am sorry” is to say “I am sorry” and support your words with action. Anytime we say “I am sorry, but…” we have cancelled the apology and shifted into defense mode. What typically follows the word ‘but’ is an excuse for what we said, did, or didn’t do.

“I am sorry, but you made me angry.”
“I am sorry, but it wasn’t really my fault”.
“I am sorry, but [fill in the blank].”

Extending an apology to someone we have hurt or offended is an act of humility and a way of acknowledging the other person’s feelings and the importance of the relationship.

If you are someone that typically adds ‘but’ to your apologies, ask yourself why? Use what you learn through self-reflection to grow. Be clear as to why you are apologizing and extend your apology from the heart—an excuse free zone.

Take Action

Is there a relationship in your life that could benefit from an excuse free apology? If yes, take action, extend your apology and support your words with action.

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All the best,
Ruthann

Understanding Commitment vs. Attachment in Goal Setting

Commitment

“Be committed, not attached; but more importantly, know the difference.”

—Anonymous

The difference between being committed vs. being attached is trust.

Trust enables you to dream big, set goals, work toward your goals, and stay open to more than one outcome. Trust enables you to ask “what did I learn?”, “how did I grow?” when things don’t go as you planned.

Commit to taking the action needed to bring your goals to life, but don’t become attached to a specific outcome. When we are attached to a specific outcome, we try to control the process rather than trust the process. Trust will enable you to keep your mind focused and your heart open to possibilities as you pursue your goals. The true power of commitment lies in your ability to make decisions, act on your decisions, and trust the process of bringing your goals to life.

In your career, commitment means taking consistent action, while trust keeps you open to opportunities that may unfold differently than planned.

Need help staying open to guidance? I invite you to read my post Embrace Possibility: 3 Transformative Tips.

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All the best,
Ruthann

Release the Past: Reflection Practices for Healing and Moving Forward

Past Future

I can think of a time in my life when my primary focus was on past mistakes, missed opportunities, and the wrong doing of others. It was a dead end focus that kept me anchored in the past, silently suffering in the present, and not truly moving forward.

Through an ongoing process of forgiveness, I learned to release the past, resentment, and anger that I felt toward myself and others. Instead of looking back on challenging or painful situations with resentment and regret, I began to look back and ask what I learned about myself (first and foremost) and others and how the ‘lessons learned’ could help me grow. This was an ongoing process that helped me get unstuck and move forward.

The first step to release the past is to decide to release the past. There is great power in deciding to let it go. There is even more power in writing your decision down.

Once you have affirmed your decision to release the past in writing, sit with your decision in silence and allow your wise self that awaits you in silence to guide your steps forward. You have the power to release the past so that you can begin to truly moving forward.

Questions for reflection:

What in my past is keeping me from enjoying the present?
What in my past is keeping me from proactively creating my future?
What steps can I take to release the past so that I can truly move forward?

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All the best,
Ruthann

The Power of Silence: Embracing Solitude for Inner Peace

“Let silence take you to the core of your life.”

—Rumi

When I was growing up, my mom used to make me and my siblings spend time alone on a regular basis. She felt it was important for us to learn to enjoy our own company and not feel compelled to fill our time with other people or activities to be content and happy.

Spending time alone was never an issue for me. I am an introvert by nature and quiet time alone is how I recharge and reenergize. I looked forward to and enjoyed my time alone.

As I look back on my childhood, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to my mom for laying the foundation for what has proven to be a very important daily practice, time alone in silence to cultivate patience, peace of mind, and trust in the process of being internally guided.

If you don’t already have a regular practice of spending time alone in silence, I encourage you to create time in your day to be still and silent. Strive for 15-20 minutes in silence each day.

If sitting in silence is new to you, start small. Take five minutes or ten minutes out of your day. Set a timer so that you can be fully present to the moment and not watching the clock. You may want to consider using your breath as a focal point for your time in silence. When the timer goes off, bring your quiet time to a close in a spirit of gratitude for the gift of silence. Capture your experience of going within in a journal or notebook.

In the beginning, the benefits of spending time in silence may not be obvious, however, as you continue with this practice, I believe you will feel a deeper sense of peace, calm, balance, and openness to inner guidance. Give yourself the gift of silence.

Thank you for pausing here. If my writing has offered meaningful insight or sparked a shift in you, I would be honored to hear what stayed with you.

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All the best,
Ruthann