Do we learn from our mistakes? No.

We’ve all made mistakes.

Really?  All of us?

Yes.

What is a mistake?

A mistake is something that if you had done the opposite your life would have been a thousand times less troublesome and you would have ended up with a ton more money.

That makes me think that all mistakes are financial.

Ultimately most mistakes are financial unless you are a surgeon and operate on the wrong leg – but even that is financial when the wronged party sues.

Do we learn from our mistakes?

No.

Why do we make mistakes when it seems so obvious after the fact.

We make mistakes because there comes a moment in every transaction – whether it be a yard sale item or saying yes to the man who asked for your hand, when life sprays ‘longing mist’ and we are caught. If we dawdle in the lobby of logical thought and refuse to step into the room, we fall in love with the illogical.

You mean a blind spot? 

Well, yes, if you want to state it simply.

What about if you wear bad shoes and trip and break your arm?

Yep. Bad shoes can be overcome mistake

How can you feel better about a mistake?

First you have to look at yourself in the mirror and say your name:  Hi Carol.  You made a big mistake.  Name the mistake.  Don’t push it away.  Put it in your basket and sit with your mistake until it fades away like your old Polaroids snapshots.

Are there some mistakes that are not mistakes?

Yes.  Your age for instance.  Most of us are ashamed of our age. We feel that we are as old as we are because we were careless and made a mistake. We feel if we had been more vigilant, we would still be thirty-two.  This is not true.  Our age has nothing to do with carelessness.  It is not a mistake.