Reflection is a critical life skill. It helps us learn how to feel grounded, less confused, and keep a compass to future paths. We expand understanding of self in deeper layers — from concrete skills and personality traits to capabilities and limitations.

Accurate self-awareness is beneficial in many ways. Knowing what we miss will help us seek help or put in work. Recognizing own flaws helps us stay humble and be understanding of others flaws.

The act of reflection has its own benefits as well. We gain objective perspectives on what happened to us. We get to see our words, actions, and decisions from different perspectives — maybe in a bigger context. It offers clarification by examining the causes and guides future choices.

This is especially helpful when it comes to big feelings. After they’re fully felt, we can reflect to find out triggers, and setting events that lead to escalation. Exploring causes at multiple layers lead to clarity, which builds inner strength.

This skill contributes to our general happiness by helping us stay who we are in the midst of big and small waves of life. Many adults still strive to strengthen the skill, and practice accumulates.

This is why we want to start young, teaching our kids to reflect.