On learning from your own mistakes

Time heals the wounds,

but it doesn't remove the scars.

Jocko Willink

Scars (call them lessons) from your own failures, mistakes, assumptions are the ones that cut the deepest and create the greatest awareness of nearby warning signs on the horizon going forward. It cultivates wisdom. Making mistakes is an unavoidable part of life so get comfortable with it - they happen.

When they do, don't beat yourself up over it. Look for the lesson and move on.

Something I have heard many times is how it is better to learn from the mistakes of others than have to go through and learn from making them yourself. Sure, don't walk in front of oncoming traffic or hold your hand over a flame. Do your best not to form close personal or business alliances with those you do no trust. Give wide berth to the mistakes than can be avoided, but don't be afraid to take a chance when the calling arises. Participate in life and don't just stand in the bleachers. It is better to cultivate a failure management strategy that to go through life avoiding failure altogether. The collective narrative has attached such negative interpretations to failure while it is actually a part of your growth.

If you make mistakes, good.

Own it.

Learn from it and move on.

I am reminded of these words from Theodore Roosevelt when taking on uncomfortable endeavour:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.