Mistakes

A mistake? Thank you!
We all make mistakes. That statement is so pedestrian it’s hardly worthy running with. There is, however, a less obvious but very important aspect of mistakes and it is well worth considering: we never have a better learning opportunity than from mistakes. They may cost us money, time, and energy, but learning from them will save us much, much more.

All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from them.
– Winston Churchill

What do you do when you learn to swim? You make mistakes. And what happens then? You make more mistakes and when you have made them all without drowning what do you find? That you can swim! Life is just the same as leaning to swim. Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no better way of learning.
– Alfred Adler

Bruno’s commentary
I have made many mistakes. Some resulted in loss of money, some in personal setbacks. Some were minor, many were major and painful. Some time ago I opened a file called “Learning Experiences,” into which I put reports, notes, and thoughts regarding my mistakes. Over the years, this one file became many, until I needed a whole box to store my errors! From time to time I browse through these materials to remind myself of my mistakes and confirm what I have learned from them. This prevents me from repeating them.

What did you learn from your most recent mistake?