Learning from our mistakes

Focus: The importance of learning new things

Proverbs 1:5 (AMP) The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]—

When your life has been characterized by mistakes, you might start to wonder how you will ever be able to shake off the feelings of failure and inadequacy. If you look at your level of success compared to your peers, you may wonder why it seems like you’ve made more mistakes than others. You might spend a considerable amount of time pondering why you can’t seem to get over some of the things that went wrong, even though your intentions were good.

After a mistake has been made, it’s normal to have a reasonable period of regret and insecurity. An honest evaluation of ‘what went wrong’ is healthy. However, in the eyes of people who are depressed or who are in recovery, a mistake can become a monster that just keeps getting bigger.

To keep from becoming overwhelmed by plans that went wrong or general screw-ups, make an effort to learn new things. Why not enroll in a free class to learn something you don’t already know about? There are lots of free opportunities offered through the public library system, churches, and other civic organizations.

Attending a class can give you a sense of ‘purpose’ and a reason to get out of your surroundings and experience some different sights, smells, and sounds. Even if you don’t learn anything—at least you are moving past your ‘four walls’.

Objections may be sailing around in your head, such as: “What if I don’t like the instructor?” or “What if the instructor doesn’t like me?” Excuses are probably manifesting like: “I don’t have the right kind of clothes to wear” or “I’d have to ask someone for transportation because I can’t drive.”

If you could understand how good it will make you feel to get out and learn something new, you’d be passionately pursuing a way to overcome whatever is in your way. The Bible says, “With faith, all things are possible.” There is no reason to believe that any good thing would be withheld from you, if you are striving to walk uprightly and if your motivation is pure.

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God wants you to feel better. He wants you to have contact with people who will affirm you. He gave you a mind that is capable of solving problems and learning new things. There is no reason why you can’t achieve anything you put your mind to, if you are willing to ask God to help you.

As you begin to gain new ideas and friends—the past will take on its proper perspective. You will not have as much time to spend looking back at mistakes and failures. Your mind will be stimulated and absorbed with new concepts and fresh ideas.

Part of your success in recovery from depression and dependency has to do with how well you are able to open your mind to believing that the future can be better than the past. If you are convinced nothing will ever change—guess what? Nothing will ever change. If you want to stay where you are—you may, but why would you?

Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life…” Much of your destiny depends on the choices you make today.

Getting out of the house, meeting people, and learning something new are great ways to balance the bad stuff of the past, but if you’re just not able to put the whole thing together right this minute, at least read a book or watch some ‘how to’ YouTube videos on the internet. There are so many new things to learn and so many reasons to try.

Don’t give up on yourself or your dream. There is no reason to believe your life is ‘over’, just because you made some mistakes along the way. Some of the most brilliant minds in history had to endure seasons of discouragement and disappointment because things went wrong on their way to success. Nobody goes through life without a fair share of frustration over little or big things that didn’t turn out as planned.

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again. Starting over is a hard thing, but its not as hard as having to face the person in the mirror who had a chance to try again and chose not to.

Declaration: I will find new strength by learning new things. I will make the effort to find something new to learn about and I will pursue it. Having something new to think about and talk about will stimulate my God-given gift of creativity. By stirring up the gift that is in me, I will keep moving forward and making progress.