Self-reflection questions for Growth: A Mother, Her Son, and the Brain Tumor They Survived
On parenting and its challenges: (These questions are posed in past tense, but think of them in present tense if that is more applicable to you.)
Was I ever bored with parenting?
What fears did my child and I share?
What was missing in my relationship with my child?
Do interactions with my child deplete or stoke my energy?
Do I hold any grudges against my child? Do they hold a grudge against me?
What is something another parent did that I admired?
What important value did I impart to my child that didn’t “take?”
On people-pleasing or fear of conflict:
From where does my fear/need-to-please originate?
What do I believe will be the consequence if I speak up? Is that a realistic assessment?
Am I less likely to speak up to certain types of people and in certain situations?
What’s one circumstance where I always speak up?
What negative self-talk happens when I fail to say what’s on my mind? Do I counter it with more positive self-talk?
Do I recognize what I believe is people-pleasing in others’ behaviors? How is my behavior similar or different?
Was there a situation when speaking up would have served the “greater good?”