Iowa Equity Challenge Day 2

Day 2 of 21

SELF-REFLECTION

 

"Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful." 

- Margaret J. Wheatley, “It’s An Interconnected World”

 

Over the next 20 days, we will be discussing topics that aren’t always talked about in public spaces, often because they are awkward or uncomfortable. Our collective discomfort is a sign that we have more work to do on these issues. An open exchange of ideas and a willingness to listen to one another is crucial to our community well-being. 
 
One of the main goals of this 21-Day Equity Challenge is to raise awareness of inequity and racism occurring in our communities and to explore how they affect us and our neighbors.
 
Self-reflection is key to our ability to improve ourselves and learn from our past mistakes. By looking at our thoughts, feelings, and emotions from a more neutral perspective, we continue to grow and deepen our understanding of ourselves and others. 
 
Self-reflection can also help us develop new skills and recognize the strengths we already have. It’s important to evaluate the way we do things in order to find the most effective strategy for the future. 
 
Journaling throughout this challenge is a great way to reflect on what you’re learning and how your ideas and opinions are evolving. Each day of the challenge will include a few questions to consider during your journaling. If you’d like, you can even download and save a PDF of each day’s journal questions to record your thoughts and follow your equity journey over time. You don’t have to share these journal entries with anyone; they are meant only for your personal self-reflection and growth. But your answers might be a good starting point for group discussions, if you’re participating in this challenge as part of a team.
 
 

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Reflect on your past experiences and consider how you can make more equitable decisions in the future. 
  • Take an honest look at your life and how you can improve your interactions with others.
  • Take responsibility for your actions — both good or bad.

 

 

TODAY'S ACTIVITIES

Choose one or more of these daily activities to learn about today’s topic. Plan to set aside 15 to 30 minutes to complete the activities and journal about your thoughts and feelings. 

Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch “Simon Sinek on How Reflection Informs Personal Growth” (1:19) to learn how to step back and evaluate your actions.

 

Listen to the song “Photograph” (4:21) by Nickelback. Look out for this lyric: “Life’s better now than it was back then. If I was them, I wouldn’t let me in.”

 

Read “How to Improve With Self Reflection” (3 min) by Dr. Keith E. Webb for ideas on how to reflect more deeply.

Capture what you learned by writing down your thoughts and feelings about today's content.

  • What was your “aha moment” (moment of surprise or new information)?
  • Does this information change your perspective?
  • How will you use what you learned today to create more equitable spaces?
  • Recall a time when you acted inequitably. How could you have changed your behavior?
  • Recall a time when you were proud of yourself for handling an uncomfortable situation well. How could you use that strategy in the future?

Download a free journal page for today.

 

 

Share your reflections on today’s topic on social media using the hashtag #IowaEquityChallenge.

 

 

Next Topic: Shared Language