Monday, September 8, 2008

Reflections on a Summer

In seminary, they often talked about the importance of taking time for reflection. The concept lay in the twin pillars of praxis and reflection, which were meant to ebb and flow in a successful professional life. Being a person who lives mostly in the realm of action, I never really took the calls for reflection seriously. Maybe it was the methods employed in that environment – too touchy feely like journals and group debriefing. Maybe it was that in my mid-twenties I didn’t have as much to reflect upon. Maybe it seemed like there was always so much to do that there wasn’t room to sit and think. In any case, I officially admit that I have learned the value of reflection as a complementary twin to praxis. Ironically, I have learned it at the end of a summer spent almost entirely living in the moment.

As my time at home has drawn to a close, I find myself wanting to capture the things that I learned in some sort of concrete way. The posts over the next few days will be an attempt to capture some of the wisdom that I gained over the past twelve weeks.

1 comment:

butterflydiamondpancake said...

Loved the comment about journaling.
Being a person that has a hard time sitting still, I am amazed that a journal can help me delve into a new world of reflection. What fun, selfish fun, to spend a few minutes periodically, self-absorbed in my own thoughts, wishes, and goals.