Learning From Mistakes

We are human, and we all make mistakes, some large and some small. Sometimes it's difficult to admit, and other times it's difficult to forget.  However, mistakes do not define us as individuals.  If you make a mistake in your cheer or dance performance, fix it and perform better next time.  If you make a mistake in your personal life, learn from it and mature. 

When a child does something bad, her parent might give her a timeout or some kind of punishment.  That way, her brain says "Oh! When I do that bad thing, I get in trouble... I don't want to get in trouble again, so I'm not going to misbehave anymore."  As we grow older, we have to take responsibility for ourselves.  We no longer have a parent to discipline us for our mistakes, but we do have a conscience. When we make a mistake, we have this bad feeling in our gut, the kind of feeling that makes you want to rewind time. Congratulations!  That's your conscience speaking, and that is now your own constant, internal "parent."  It follows you around, everywhere you go, and if used properly, it will teach you lessons!  So take the time to learn from your mistakes. We all make them, but it's how we grow from them that determines how we grow as individuals. 

ACTIVITY: Think of a mistake that you have made in your past.  How did it help you mature into the person that you are today?  Write down your own personal example, and use it as a daily reminder.  Life is not about our mistakes... It is about our recovery.

Keep counting it out, 

5, 6, 7, 8!