Some of us think about where we want to be in the new year and make resolutions accordingly.
Others take stock on birthdays or anniversaries of significant dates.
We sometimes look backward and consider where we’ve been or forward to where we hope to be.
We can look inward at ourselves or outward at others.
Nearly all of us look – it’s practically in our DNA – but does it help us achieve our goals or does it hamper our progress?

Aristotle is quoted as having said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
That is one seriously tough statement!
When I think of living life fully though, it makes perfect sense. How else will I know that I am indeed moving towards achieving my goals unless I consider where I’ve been, where I want to be, and where I am now?

I think what makes people uneasy about introspection is the idea that it is a judgment, a measurement of worth. That, however, is a matter of choice. You have the option to support or sabotage your own growth.

Have you ever felt frustrated by feeling that your life is out of balance? Have you found yourself looking for a greater feeling of fulfillment?
Well, second-guessing your decisions, or grading yourself on choices you’ve made, will not move you any closer to balance or fulfillment.

Look at it this way, you’re driving along and realize after a while that you’ve missed a turn. You COULD pull the car over and berate yourself for a half-hour or so, OR you could double-back, find the turn, and continue from there. Your choice. What exactly would you have gained from that 30-minute tirade? Sounds silly, but we do this to ourselves so many times.

How about this one: you look at a menu in a restaurant and go back and forth between dessert choices, finally deciding on one. The dessert comes, and as good as it tastes, all you can think about is the one you DIDN’T get. So just how much do you enjoy that dessert as you imagine the other one?

How much of your life are you willing to give up to leave room for second-guessing and self-deprecating tirades?
Really, how much time sounds right to you?

With all due respect to Aristotle, I believe that the judged life isn’t worth living either.

I invite you live your life purposefully, attentively; savor what you do.
Celebrate your achievements and respect your less than successful attempts.
This is YOUR life; you CAN’T live it wrong.
Enjoy.