Monday, September 15, 2014

LEARN From Your Past


Yesterday, we talked about not feeling ashamed or embarrassed about the need to "start over". We discussed the fact that any great invention was not invented successfully the first time that it was tried. The fact is that it took the person attempting to create that invention, the patience to START OVER again and again!
 
So, again, regardless of what you may read or hear somewhere else (remember that graphic that got me a little angry?), there is NO SHAME in having to START OVER! The shame would be if you actually QUIT and just gave up completely.
 
But that's not you!
 
So, as you think about starting over there IS one thing that we must really take into consideration in this process.
 
DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM YOUR PAST ATTEMPTS?
 
Think back to the example of the great inventors having to start over several times. What would you think if they kept doing the EXACT SAME THING that did NOT work over and over again? Would you not ask that person why they keep doing the same thing that did not work over and over again?
 
SURE YOU WOULD!
 
Friend, it should be no different for you or me. If you keep starting over but keep doing the same things over and over again then, guess what? YOU WILL KEEP MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES and you will CONTINUE to have to START OVER but with no hope of ever making any progress!
 
That, my friend, is a FACT!
 
Can we get brutally honest here? I hope you say "yes" because that is exactly what we are going to do!
 
From my own experience and from what I have seen, here is the #1 REASON why so many keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Are you ready?
 
PRIDE.
 
That's right...PRIDE!
 
What do I mean? The #1 reason why most people keep making the same mistakes is because their own PRIDE will not allow them to ADMIT THAT THEY MADE THE MISTAKES! It's easier to blame everyone and everything else for their mistakes.
 
That being so (and, friend, it is so a majority of the time), they do not learn anything and are destined to a perpetual cycle of making the same mistakes again and again, not learning a thing to correct these mistakes.
 
So, did your ego survive that? GOOD! (I'm assuming you said, "yes"!).
 
As much as that hurts and as much as some do not want to hear this truth, it IS the truth! You will find that if you will actually be willing to accept the fact that YOU are responsible for the mistakes then, friend, you have the ability to LEARN something and NOT make the same mistake again!
 
Now, here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to let all of this sink in and allow you to really open up and accept the responsibility that, yes, YOU could actually be the one responsible for what went wrong before. Yes, YOU!
 
I'm going to ask that you take the time to really, honestly, consider this possibility (I'm trying to be nice here) that this could be true and then take a GOOD LOOK at the past and see if you can actually pin-point some of the problem areas.
 
O.K.?
 
Then, tomorrow, we will come back and address some of these issues. Deal?
 
But, you MUST be open and willing to admit to mistakes if the mistakes are yours. Deal?
 
I hope so, because that is what I'm going to do tomorrow.
 
I think you will be surprised - and likely relieved - to find out that you are not the only person that has struggled with these issues.
 
So again, the ONLY SHAME is when you do not learn from your past mistakes and struggles. The time is NOW to stop that disastrous spiral, wouldn't you agree?
 
Good...let's get after it and begin moving forward toward our goals and dreams.
 
Until then, whatever you do, be sure to...
 
"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
 
Mike
 
 

No comments:

Post a Comment