Introspection: The contemplation of your own thoughts, wants, and needs.

As parents, we’re incredibly tuned in to our children. The slightest change in breathing pattern or the tiniest hint of a pending hangry meltdown has us chomping at the bit to tend to their physiological and emotional needs. How often are we that in tune with ourselves? Just as we might normally look at someone else and question their objectives, guess what they’re feeling, and come to conclusions about why they’re feeling it, introspection enables us to take a deep, long look inward and truly understand our reactions, desires, and expectations rather than simply experiencing them.

The ability to examine, explore and get intimate with your inner conscious and feelings allows you to take responsibility for your growth. Rather than believe the circumstances of your life happen to you, introspective thinking helps you realize these things happen for you. Failures become lessons, and when you get hurt, you learn something from the process as well. You learn about what matters to you, how you view the world and others, as well as the power you have when moving forward.

It is so important to realize the magnitude of introspection, and the lesson it teaches us all. When we pause and see life working in favor of us, we start to see the beauty in what we already have and what we can become.

The more well-versed we are in pondering our own thoughts, wants, and needs, the better we’ll be able to extend grace and understanding for what we immediately perceive as our child’s overreaction, our friend’s oversensitivity, and our partner’s forgetfulness.

Once we’re fluent in introspection, seeing the needs and inner worlds of our babies will come more naturally to us, truly creating a space that is safe and whole for you both to thrive.

How do you hope someone would describe you? Why? If someone had to describe you while you weren’t there, what would you want them to say? When you imagine their description, do you cringe or smile? How would the description vary if given by a friend? A co-worker? Your parent? What are the core elements of who you are as a person?