"The real trick in life is to turn hindsight into foresight that reveals insight."
- Robin Sharma
The mistakes I've made in my life have been the most powerful teaching tools I've ever been given. They have stayed with me the longest and are the experiences that have yielded more progress than my successes, though I did enjoy the successes more.
Experiential learning tends to be painful for me and I'm particular about how much pain I'm willing to endure in the name of progress. Achieving balance was hard for me when I was learning to ride a bike. No matter how many different ways Dad tried to explain it, I couldn't make the connection and crashed repeatedly. It was painful enough that I would have given up, but I wanted to be part of my peer group, and they all could ride. At some point I grasped the concept of balance and it was smooth sailing going forward.
I've made a lot of mistakes from then to now, and a few were doozies. But I've learned from each one, repeated only a few, and emerged from each smarter and more resilient. I learn faster now, which is good, since statistical evidence declares there is more life behind than ahead of me.
I've walked through a lot of burial grounds and have yet to hear a voice from the tomb say, "Given another opportunity, I would live my life differently." Hindsight, foresight, and insight are only valuable for the living.
Today's image was created in Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh, Scotland.
