Good morning students and staff of JMC. My name is Agiaye Immanuella of SS1D. I am kindly appealing to us all to listen attentively because this talk promises to influence our lives positively. 
We often have a say or two about somebody’s actions and beliefs. We might have a reason to judge them. Seeing them, you begin to wonder what goes on in their minds. Really, some persons do not see themselves as the problem, how they respond to others, which is why an important aspect of our lives that we often don’t recognize, is the importance of self – evaluation, which to a greater extent, affects our actions and contributes to our personal growth.
Self- evaluation is a process that goes beyond surface-level assessment. In psychological terms, it can be defined as the process of systematically observing and analyzing one’s own actions, activities, thoughts and experiences that play a role in identity and character. It is a form of mental examination on what makes up one’s disposition, in relation to what is right, while making room for improvement. Self-evaluation involves a deep dive into our inner world and entails identifying our weaknesses, strengths and asking questions like “where am I right now?”, Where do I want to be?” and “How am I going to get there?”. We can examine these, and with constant practice, grow toward the direction of the answers we’ve provided ourselves to those questions.
People don’t usually reflect on their actions, especially when they think they’ve done nothing wrong and are good enough the way they are. When something unpleasant happens, we should be bold enough to reflect about it and evaluate how it should have been better. Reflecting about it, is way different from just saying, “oh, this shouldn’t have happened to me”, or “why did I not do it that way”, or “I shouldn’t have said that”. But what most people don’t understand is that self-evaluation is not something to be done occasionally or something we should be forced to do but should be an integral part of growth and self-development, in and out. It requires honesty, self-awareness and a willingness to confront our faults, even when we are overwhelmed by strong emotions.
Self-evaluation is important for many reasons:
- It is a valuable tool for personal growth and development as you are in touch with yourself and conscientiously looking at the various aspects of who you are. From that, you know your strengths and weaknesses. It requires looking at your shortcomings and acknowledging them. It could be that you have anger issues, or you unknowingly tend to say unkind words and it’s left for you to decide to improve or give an excuse why you behave that way.
- Self-evaluation is not all about judgment and criticism, but self-improvement and growth. Looking at the question “Where do I want to be”, can trigger an intrinsic motivation for development on the areas we need to build on to fit the person we want to be.
- Self-evaluation allows us to create rational and ambitious goals that we can achieve as we strive for self-improvement. This empowers one to take charge of their personal growth and make intentional choices that align with one’s values and goals.
- Self-evaluation plays a crucial role in personal development, as it promotes self-awareness which is essential for making positive changes and overcoming obstacles in our lives. People would’ve noticed that you are more careful with words, than carelessly flaunting them around.
- One learns through self-evaluation not to sit in judgement of other people, as they are aware of their own deficiencies and not overly critical of others, but also learn to tolerate critics of themselves, coming from others. They have an insight to who they are and to not judge others on something they themselves would’ve done.
With a consistent practice of this exercise, we track our progress and make adjustments along the way, fostering continuous personal growth. You’ll notice how far you’ve come and how different you are from the person you were before, who practically didn’t know much about themselves. There are several elements that can help us carry out this self-evaluation.
Silence:
Silence plays a key role when examining ourselves. Silence is simply the absence of noise, both internally and externally. It is always the best to keep silent during a self-evaluation, because as we are looking into ourselves; into those actions, or thoughts or words; and when we are silent, we are able to recognize what matters most. Saying this, let’s not look at Fr. Alex’s instruction on being silent before breakfast as a punishment, but as a way of cultivating mindfulness, recognition and appreciation of the present moment. During prayer, silence allows us to be still and let God speak to us. JMC Family, we need to take silence seriously on all levels.
Examen/ and time to self-evaluate, to reflect differs for everyone. It must not always be a lonely and quiet place, although that is effective. It is ideal to reflect at the beginning and the end of each day, looking at what you plan on doing for that day and at the end looking through all the activities and experiences of the day. JMC has provided a 5-minute stretch for examen in between classes. This time when utilized well, enables one to re-examine past actions and activities of the day, and with the help of the guidelines provided by the school, checks if those actions are in line with what is pleasing to God.
St Ignatius of Loyola- The importance of self-evaluation is well emphasized by the founder of the Society of Jesus, Ignatius of Loyola. During his time at Manresa, discerned greatly on his life and composed THE SPIRITUAL EXCERCISES, a guide to spiritual growth and discernment. It can be used by anybody. It is the fruit of that silent time of prayer and reflection that gave birth to the Society of Jesus, and why we have JMC today.
Relationship to personality: Over time as you become more and more aware of who you are. We are at the beginning of a new year and new term. Self-evaluation and silence cannot be more apt at this time. As we reflect and search for the best version of ourselves, we ask, how was my 2024? What do I hope to improve myself in 2025? What is stopping me from cultivating silence and reverence during prayer and other solemn activities?
May God help us to develop this virtue of self-evaluation and silence.
Thank you and have the best year ahead.
Agiaye Immanuella
Class of 2027