What went wrong between mistakes and learning’s?

A mistake is an act or judgement that is misguided or wrong. Until few generations ago the elderly and the wise would largely participate to correct and share wisdom saying; keep a positive outlook, learn from your mistakes and don’t hesitate to take action to correct mistakes you made.

One’s attitude played an important role in correcting our mistakes, encouraging and creating new ways of thinking in doing things. For some their creativity and innovation was viewed as educational challenges discovering something new and better. From a scientific point a neurological research tells that making a mistake is actually good thing, as new learning results in the growth of the brain. Going deeper on the subject people asked do mistakes define you. We were told you aren’t your mistakes, but in a way mistakes define us because of the impact they leave on us as experiences of life.

Several generations back making mistakes was not common. In recent times general trends of youngsters with their mistaken identity carry their ‘I’ everywhere and invariably nudge and mute the wise and elders. Mistake of taking & giving bribe is accepted as social convenience breeding corruption. Mistake in disrespecting social norms the care less attitude to rules and laws resulting in wrongful gains. Now the wrong action in a mistake when it does not get corrected, the result of that action is FAILURE.

When individual failures multiply in a larger perspective of society it breeds disharmony, distrust, disrespect, abuse and hatred to say the least. The generation I belonged to when I was young, the elders doubted us to make more mistakes and subject society with more evils. True to their expectations we put in our share of mistakes in damaging society values, ethics and traditions. Now decades later we are probably thinking the same for the current generation.

Going back to our days, some God fearing people had no fear about us and contributed by keeping their sanity and addressing our mistakes with forgiveness and prayers. If today my generation and I are blessed to manage our mistakes and conduct the process of corrections, it is but imperative to help others patiently introducing them to find peace with the Creator. The beginning for them is just surrender and a prayer away. “Keep me under Your Protection, God; shower me with Your Mercy”.

One may be a low-life fool but Gurbani encourages you to know your new set of thinking, bringing the mind wellness you have missed all along.

“I am a sinner, continuously making mistakes; You are the Forgiving Lord.

I make mistakes each and every day. You are the Great Giver;

I am worthless. I associate with Maya, your hand-maiden, and I renounce You, God; such are my actions.

You bless me with everything, showering me with Mercy; And I am such an ungrateful wretch!

I am attached to Your gifts, but I do not even think of You, O my Lord and Master.

There is none other than You, O Lord, Destroyer of fear.

Says Nanak, I have come to Your Sanctuary, O Merciful Guru; I am so foolish - please, save me!

SGGS Ang809