Guided Reflections

Caring for Ourselves Reflection

eamaya1 Guided Reflections

Caring for Ourselves Reflection Questions:

1. How are you, really? How are you physically, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually? (If helpful, spiritually can be understood as wherever we find meaning or connection in something bigger than ourselves)

2. What has been most stressful during this quarter?

3. What are ways you currently care for yourself?

4. What do you want to START or STOP doing which you think will help you care for yourself?

5. Caring for ourselves cannot be done in isolation, but community/collective care is also important? What does that look like in your life right now?

6. How can we live out collective care as a community?

Compassionate Listening

arampone Guided Reflections

Compassionate Listening requires questions which are non-adversarial and listening which is non-judgmental. Listeners seek the truth of the person questioned, seeing through “masks of hostility and fear to the sacredness of the individual.” Listeners seek to humanize the “other.” Listeners accept what others say as their perceptions, and validate their right to their own perceptions. Compassionate Listening can cut through barriers of defense and mistrust, enabling both those listened to and those listening to hear what they think, to change their opinions, and to make more informed decisions. Through this process, fear can be reduced, and participants will be better equipped to discern how to proceed with effective action.

Form pairs. Have one partner tell a meaningful story about their service site or experience to their partner. The story should be short, to the point, and include valuable moments of vulnerability or emotion. Have the partner practice compassionate listening. Then have the partners switch roles.

Reflection Questions:

  1. Using this model of compassionate listening, how did this change the way we engaged in our ability to understand the stories our partners told us?
  2. How can we use this as a way to share our stories as Vincentians?

The Two Feet of Social Action

arampone Guided Reflections

Activity to discuss the desired balance between service and justice.

  1. Everyone stand up! Stand on one foot and think of all the times that you offered service or helped someone out. Think of all the moments that you were doing charity of some kind. When you are finished thinking about these moments you may put your foot down.
  2. Now stand on your other foot. Think of all the times that you worked toward changing a structure or system of some kind.  Think of all the times you advocated for someone, called your legislature, or anything else you would consider working for justice. When you are finished thinking about these moments you may put your foot down.
  3. Did you notice a difference between the two? Did you stand longer on one foot than the other? Why?

We need both feet – both charity and justice – if we are in this for the long haul.  Direct service is important, but it is also important to start asking ‘why’ we are doing what we are doing and ‘what’ are the causes of the injustice and poverty we witness.