The Mirror of Self-Reflection

Editor's Note: This is a re-broadcast. It was originally published in December 2020. 

As one year ends and another begins, it's natural to reflect on both the past and the future -- who we were, who we are, and who we want to become.

My guest today offers three questions that can help make that self-reflection truly fruitful, insightful, and possibly even life-changing. His name is Gregg Krech, he's executive director of the ToDo Institute, which promotes principles of psychology based on Eastern traditions, and the author of Naikan: Gratitude, Grace, and the Japanese Art of Self-Reflection. Gregg and I begin our conversation with what Naikan is, and how this structured method of self-reflection can hold up a mirror to your life, helping you gain greater self-awareness, and see reality, and the way people perceive you, more clearly. Gregg then walks us through Naikan's three rich, incisive questions and how to use them to help you discover how you really show up and operate in the world. We end our conversation with how to incorporate these reflections into your daily routine, and even make it a special ritual with which to ring in the new year.

Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast

• My first interview with Gregg
• 30 Prompts for Reflection on Your Integrity
• The Real Virtue of Thankfulness
• AoM series on spiritual disciplines
• Gut Check: Are You a Contemptible Person?
• Never Complain; Never Explain
• Ego Is the Enemy

Connect With Gregg

ToDo Institute