Self reflection is tough. Sitting down and thinking about yourself, your real needs, your flaws, your strengths, your heart’s desires is hard work. But as the quote says, taking the time to discover and wrestle with your demons will enable you to accept yourself and boost your self esteem.

It was an interesting moment when I took a personality quiz for a work team building day a few years back. They gave me a whole 10+ page booklet telling me who I was and how I came across to others at work. I remember reading it and feeling shocked at how accurate the majority of it was.

At the time, I was quite upset about what it said. It made me sound anti-social, introverted and overly independent. One of my colleague’s (who was a good friend of mine) had the opposite – all I could see in her report was a description of someone confident, social and very likable.

Typical that I centred in on all the negatives at that point in my life, when I lacked self-acceptance and self-esteem. I still have that report, and now I see it very differently.

Yes, I can be so absorbed in my work that I forget the importance of socialising in the workplace. Discovering how this comes across to others is now clearly positive for me, because now I make sure I take the time to chat to other colleagues more frequently.

But now I also see all the positives in that report. The independence, determination, drive that I possess. The fact I enjoy spending time alone and gain energy from my own company is also a fantastic asset to have.

I can also see that my colleague would have flaws too. Yes she is incredibly sociable, but that meant she often missed deadlines and wasn’t as reliable.

My point is, we all have flaws and we all have strengths. It’s worth discovering them and learning how to control your demons and make the most of your angels. Take some time this week to self reflect…