Songs & Pics of the Real You
Used For 💡
Reconnecting with authenticity
Identity reflection beyond roles and titles
Leadership self-awareness
Values clarification
Grounding during transitions or change
Reclaiming aliveness and meaning
Group Size 👫
Solo or in groups of any size
Total Time ⏳
30–45 minutes
Preparation: ~15 minutes
Journaling & reflection: ~15–25 minutes
Sharing in trios: ~10–15 minutes
What This Is 🤔
This is a reflective learning exercise that uses music and images as emotional mirrors — helping people reconnect with parts of themselves that often get muted by roles, routines, and expectations.
Rather than asking participants to think their way into insight, this exercise invites them to feel their way back to who they are at their most alive. Songs and images bypass the analytical mind and surface identity, values, longings, and forgotten truths in a gentle but powerful way.
It’s especially effective in leadership contexts where people are highly capable, yet disconnected from their inner compass.
How It Works 🔩
Step 1: Curate Your Signals (Preparation)
Ask participants to prepare in advance (or on the spot, if time allows):
Choose 3 songs that feel deeply personal. Songs that move you, steady you, or make you feel unmistakably yourself.
Select 10 photos where you feel most real, alive, or present. You may appear in them — or not. Photos you took yourself are equally valid.
A guiding question: “When do I feel most like me?”
Step 2: Immersion
Participants now enter a quiet, uninterrupted space.
Listen to the three songs (in any order).
Slowly browse through the selected photos.
Let memories, sensations, emotions, and associations arise naturally.
No analysis yet. Just notice.
Step 3: Journaling & Reflection
While listening and viewing, invite participants to journal freely on prompts such as:
What emotions surface as I listen and look?
Where do I feel these sensations in my body?
What do these songs and images remind me about who I am — beyond tasks, titles, or roles?
Is there a photo that captures something essential about me that others rarely see?
What qualities or traits feel most alive here?
How often does this version of me show up in daily life?
What gets in the way?
Are there parts of me here that feel paused, hidden, or underexpressed?
Encourage stream-of-consciousness writing — no editing, no structure.
Step 4: Sharing in Trios (Optional but Powerful)
Invite participants to form groups of three.
Each person gets 3–4 minutes to share
Sharing is non-interruptive
Listeners’ role: presence, not fixing or interpreting
Suggested sharing prompts:
One image or song that stood out
One insight about yourself
One part of you that wants more space going forward
No feedback, no advice — just being witnessed.
What You’re Practicing 🎯
Self-awareness beyond cognition
Emotional literacy
Embodied sensemaking
Identity clarity
Authentic leadership presence
Speaking from lived experience
Deep listening without judgment
Why It Works 🏗️
Music and images activate memory, emotion, and meaning far more directly than words alone. They quiet the inner critic and open access to parts of the self that often stay offline in professional settings.
Journaling translates felt experience into insight. Sharing in trios transforms insight into relational truth — helping participants feel seen, grounded, and less alone in their inner worlds.
This combination is especially powerful for leaders navigating complexity, pressure, or transition.
Pro Tips 🥠
Encourage headphones for deeper immersion
Protect silence during reflection — don’t rush it
Frame sharing as offering, not performing
Remind trios: listening is the intervention
This works beautifully before values work, life design, or purpose exploration
Common Pitfalls ⚠️
Rushing the reflective phase
Over-intellectualizing insights
Turning sharing into discussion or analysis
Forcing meaning instead of letting it emerge
The Takeaway 🥡
This exercise reminds people that authenticity isn’t something to add — it’s something to remember.
By reconnecting with the songs and images that reflect who we are at our most alive, we regain clarity about how we want to live, lead, and relate. Not louder. Not faster. Just truer.