In order to be a grateful and happy person who is continuously evolving into the best, full colour version of yourself, you need to appreciate the valuable aspects of your life. This is why you need to regularly check in with your inner thoughts and feelings.

During these reflections there are eight key aspects you need to examine:

1. Relationships – do I have healthy connections with God and people, and do we share meaningful experiences?
2. Core values – are my daily activities aligned with the principles that I chose to live by?
3. Goals achieved – can I celebrate my successes and build on them whilst learning from the failures?
4. Purpose – do I make a difference and/or impact people in my corner of the world (no matter how big or small)?
5. Passions – what hobbies, causes or leisure activities excite me and bring me joy outside of my work?
6. Self-care – am I prioritising my well-being and do I monitor my thoughts, gratitude and emotional intelligence?
7. Self-confidence – when and why did I feel good about myself, my choices and my behaviour?
8. Achievements – when and why did people give me compliments and are these moments different from the times I felt successful or confident?

Approach these eight questions with curiosity and patience. It takes time to figure out who you are and how you want to live your life. It actually takes a whole lifetime. You will only “have arrived” once you are in heaven.

Please be very serious about never scolding yourself or going on a fault-finding mission. (Here’s looking at you, Raving Reds and Brilliant Blues!) You are doing this with curiosity and simply to get to know yourself – and the One who made you – better.

Keep in mind that the way you reflect on your life and what you consider valuable will suit your temperament. What you value in your life, what makes you grateful and what will motivate you to be positive about the future will be as unique as you are.

Did you notice that you felt like skipping one or two of the eight questions? Perhaps you have a high dose of Raving Red and find introspection a waste of time. Perhaps you also prefer to focus more on success than passions outside of work.

Perhaps you are very introverted with a high dose of Groovy Green and/or Brilliant Blue. Then you might find yourself scoffing at the idea of having an impact on the world. Then you should remember that your reserved approach and actions away from the limelight are neither more nor less impactful than the loud and visible impacts of extroverted people.

As a Yappy Yellow person who wishes to be inspirational, you might not value your impact enough. Perhaps you measure yourself only in terms of likes on social media or promotions in your job. Perhaps you underestimate the inspiration people close to you derive from your words and actions in everyday circumstances.

These are but a few examples to demonstrate how confusing it can be to decide what is essential in your life and what you wish to protect. Embrace this confusion as one of the tricky steps in the dance of life.

You may dance a slow tango or a feisty foxtrot – as long as you keep focusing on what is valuable to you. Trust yourself to do these valuations. Not because you are such an expert, but because you were made for a time like this with precisely all that you need to live a full colour life.