I have one of the richest stores of knowledge and wisdom of anyone on this planet, for I have made more mistakes than most people I know. Of course, I don't know all the mistakes that others have made--heck, I don't even know all of mine--but I do know that I have done some really, really stupid things in my life. I have failed big-time in several areas of my life. But I've also been very lucky, for I never have had the tendency to dwell on those mistakes. Some of them have stuck with me for a while, but most I've been able to put into my past and move on without dwelling on them.
Putting them in the past does not at all diminish the importance of our mistakes, or the importance of making amends if others were involved. What it does is allow us to move on with our lives and focus on the present moment and its possibilities. If I'm worried about the stupid words I said yesterday, I can learn from them and not repeat them. But if I allow them to affect me too strongly, I might be afraid to say anything at all, and thus lose some important opportunities.
Some people, though, don't want us to forget our mistakes. They want to remind us of them, and somehow, in a sad and warped way, make themselves feel better by making us feel worse. It's not a trap that we should fall into. What's done is done, and there's still plenty to do and to live through before our dying day.
Mistakes and failures have much to offer us, but we do have to be aware enough to recognize that fact, and willing to internalize the lessons and messages that they have. I'd hate to think that I've gone through the frustration and embarrassment of many of my mistakes for no real reason, and if I pull the lessons from them, then there certainly is reason enough.
Putting them in the past does not at all diminish the importance of our mistakes, or the importance of making amends if others were involved. What it does is allow us to move on with our lives and focus on the present moment and its possibilities. If I'm worried about the stupid words I said yesterday, I can learn from them and not repeat them. But if I allow them to affect me too strongly, I might be afraid to say anything at all, and thus lose some important opportunities.
Some people, though, don't want us to forget our mistakes. They want to remind us of them, and somehow, in a sad and warped way, make themselves feel better by making us feel worse. It's not a trap that we should fall into. What's done is done, and there's still plenty to do and to live through before our dying day.
Mistakes and failures have much to offer us, but we do have to be aware enough to recognize that fact, and willing to internalize the lessons and messages that they have. I'd hate to think that I've gone through the frustration and embarrassment of many of my mistakes for no real reason, and if I pull the lessons from them, then there certainly is reason enough.
