By Vernalee
Yes, experience is the best teacher! I am simply echoing a truism. Failures often are the best teachers. We get better and learn from our mistakes. And of course, I remember the old ladies in Mississippi saying, “You can’t tell that child a thing. She has to buy her sense.” Nonetheless, that is what experience does. The key is that we have to push our emotions out of the way and learn from them; which is easier said than done. Experience, though a simple word, means different things to different people. However, in its most pristine form, experience is the “practical contact with and observation of facts or event; or to encounter or undergo (an event or occurrence). Experience is also the knowledge or mastery of an event or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it.” There are various forms of experiences that we derive from physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, religious, social, virtual simulation, and other settings. Whether we call it, training, maturity, practice, or encounters, experience is valuable. It is safe to assume that we will learn more from things that happen to us in real life than from hearing about them or studying things that happen to other people. In streets terms, we call that “learnt” sense, which is different from the “bought” sense that borders on advice; and “I told you so.” Sometimes, I guess we just have to fall down to know what it feels like to pick ourselves up. Everyone has chimed in on the experience relatedness. Remember these. • Some things you won’t understand until it happens to you. • Only the journey matters. • The only source of knowledge is experience. • A mind that is stretched by experience can never go back to its old dimensions. • Lessons in life will be repeated until they are learned. • Experience is simply the name that we give to our mistakes. Life deals us good and bad experiences. We must be careful that we don’t allow our bad experiences to negatively affect our heart. Bitterness, hatred, and anger can walk through our doors easily. Replacing them with joy, love, and happiness are optimal. The choice is ours whether we become victims or victors. Victories and success sound good to me! Photo credit: snapchamp.com; Source: www.heatherhuhman.com; www.searchquotes.com