I love this. Reading it made me realize that I’ve been doing a version of this periodically without even realizing it, just pausing for self-reflection and quietly checking in with myself.
But I really appreciate the idea of consciously asking these five questions and truly sitting with the answers. That kind of intentional pause can reveal a lot.
It also makes me think how valuable it would be if something like this were taught in school. Learning how to reflect on our lives, our choices, and who we’re becoming might be one of the most important life skills there is.
You know, when I taught middle school in the seventies, I did exactly this with my students. They had to write at least one page a week in a journal. ( they could staple it shut so I couldn't read it if they wanted to. I'd put a reflection query on the board and they could write on it or they could write what they wanted to. I always wrote back. It was so rewarding. Even the toughest kids became my friends. I still know some of those kids today! I could never get away with that in the classroom today--simply not allowed to get into "touchy-feely" emotions nowadays!
This doesn’t surprise me about you at all. I can just imagine the kind of space you created for your students, and I love that you gave them that. And the fact that you still know some of them today really says everything about how much you meant to them.
I had a couple of teachers like that growing up, and I’ve always carried such a deep fondness and gratitude for them. Your story actually reminded me that I had a teacher (I think maybe 4th grade?) who did something similar. I don’t remember if we were given prompts or just told to write whatever we wanted—a poem, a thought, a dream—but I remember that same feeling of being able to express something real, from our heart. It was not just an act of self-expression; it often let some of us get feelings out that we didn't otherwise know what to do with.
It’s honestly so sad that there’s less room for that now. That kind of care, of letting kids feel seen and heard, stays with them… clearly for a lifetime. 🤍
Thanks Andrea ❤️ That quiet pause you mentioned - the moment of actually sitting with the answers instead of just moving on - feels rare in everyday life.
I like doing these regular check-ins too, usually in some ordinary moment like walking home or washing dishes, and sometimes what comes up surprises me a bit.
And I keep thinking about what you said about school. No one really shows us how to reflect on our own lives while we’re living them. Most of us seem to stumble into that skill later, almost by accident or reading something somewhere.
These small pauses shape us over time, even when we don’t notice it in the moment.
I love that, those ordinary moments are often when the most honest answers show up. Walking, dishes, quiet little pauses… for me, it’s often in the shower. It’s almost like life creates the space for reflection when we’re not trying so hard. I agree, those small pauses really do shape us over time
Hahahah the shower it’s my favourite place too… I feel like I rearrange and sort out my entire life in the shower 😅 that place it’s also where I say my gratitudes 🙏❤️
I love this. Reading it made me realize that I’ve been doing a version of this periodically without even realizing it, just pausing for self-reflection and quietly checking in with myself.
But I really appreciate the idea of consciously asking these five questions and truly sitting with the answers. That kind of intentional pause can reveal a lot.
It also makes me think how valuable it would be if something like this were taught in school. Learning how to reflect on our lives, our choices, and who we’re becoming might be one of the most important life skills there is.
You know, when I taught middle school in the seventies, I did exactly this with my students. They had to write at least one page a week in a journal. ( they could staple it shut so I couldn't read it if they wanted to. I'd put a reflection query on the board and they could write on it or they could write what they wanted to. I always wrote back. It was so rewarding. Even the toughest kids became my friends. I still know some of those kids today! I could never get away with that in the classroom today--simply not allowed to get into "touchy-feely" emotions nowadays!
This doesn’t surprise me about you at all. I can just imagine the kind of space you created for your students, and I love that you gave them that. And the fact that you still know some of them today really says everything about how much you meant to them.
I had a couple of teachers like that growing up, and I’ve always carried such a deep fondness and gratitude for them. Your story actually reminded me that I had a teacher (I think maybe 4th grade?) who did something similar. I don’t remember if we were given prompts or just told to write whatever we wanted—a poem, a thought, a dream—but I remember that same feeling of being able to express something real, from our heart. It was not just an act of self-expression; it often let some of us get feelings out that we didn't otherwise know what to do with.
It’s honestly so sad that there’s less room for that now. That kind of care, of letting kids feel seen and heard, stays with them… clearly for a lifetime. 🤍
Yes I can imagine… it’s a shame that nowadays we can’t teach and learn human skills… and let our feelings flow
Thanks Andrea ❤️ That quiet pause you mentioned - the moment of actually sitting with the answers instead of just moving on - feels rare in everyday life.
I like doing these regular check-ins too, usually in some ordinary moment like walking home or washing dishes, and sometimes what comes up surprises me a bit.
And I keep thinking about what you said about school. No one really shows us how to reflect on our own lives while we’re living them. Most of us seem to stumble into that skill later, almost by accident or reading something somewhere.
These small pauses shape us over time, even when we don’t notice it in the moment.
I love that, those ordinary moments are often when the most honest answers show up. Walking, dishes, quiet little pauses… for me, it’s often in the shower. It’s almost like life creates the space for reflection when we’re not trying so hard. I agree, those small pauses really do shape us over time
Hahahah the shower it’s my favourite place too… I feel like I rearrange and sort out my entire life in the shower 😅 that place it’s also where I say my gratitudes 🙏❤️
Me too! Haha, that's too funny. Even the gratitudes!😅 And at the end of my shower, I do a small ground, clear, and protect ritual.