THE ART OF MAKING MISTAKES

EDUCATION TEACHES US THAT WE SHOULD NOT MAKE MISTAKES. HOWEVER, ONLY BY MAKING MISTAKES DO WE GET THE CONFIDENCE TO TRY NEW THINGS AND DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW. DID YOU KNOW THAT COCA COLA WAS BORN OUT OF A MISTAKE? IN 1886 A PHARMACIST NAMED JOHN PEMBERTON COOKED UP A MEDICINAL SYRUP IN A LARGE BRASS KETTLE SLUNG OVER AN OPEN FIRE. HIS ASSISTANT ACCIDENTALLY USED CARBONATED OR SODA WATER TO MIX THE SECOND BATCH AND INSTEAD OF MEDICINE, THEY CREATED A FIZZY DRINK NOW CONSUMED ACROSS THE WORLD. PENICILLIN, POST-IT-NOTES AND CORN FLAKES ARE SOME OTHER WELL-KNOWN MISTAKE PRODUCTS.

THE RIGHT ANSWER SYNDROME:

MOST EXERCISES IN SCHOOL ARE DESIGNED TO TEACH US THE RIGHT ANSWER. THE RIGHT ANSWER APPROACH BECOMES A PART OF OUR BELIEF AND THINKING PROCESS. WE BEGIN TO BELIEVE THAT IF WE ARE NOT RIGHT, THEN WE ARE NOT WORTHY. OFTEN WE DON'T WANT TO TRY SOMETHING NEW BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID OF FAILING OR NOT DOING IT RIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY, LIFE DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY. IF YOU THINK THERE IS ONLY ONE ANSWER, THEN AS SOON AS YOU FIND ONE, YOU WILL STOP LOOKING FOR OTHERS, PUT UP YOUR FEET AND RELAX. STEVE JOBS MADE MANY MISTAKES ON HIS WAY TO SUCCESS. SO DID GANDHIJI, RAMANUJAN, TENDULKAR, JRD TATA AND ANY OTHER SUCCESSFUL PERSON YOU CAN THINK OF. EVEN WHEN THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL, PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES - STEVE JOBS ONCE GOT FIRED FROM APPLE, HIS OWN COMPANY. THIS MISTAKE TAUGHT HIM HOW TO COME BACK EVEN STRONGER. THE BEST WAY TO ELIMINATE THE RIGHT ANSWER SYNDROME IS TO FIND MANY RIGHT ANSWERS OR ASK YOURSELF - WHAT ARE THE ANSWERS? WHAT ARE THE MEANINGS? DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING NEW. FAILURES CAN TEACH YOU: ABOUT YOURSELF, ABOUT OTHERS, YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, WHAT YOU LIKE AND DON'T LIKE, LESSONS THAT CAN'T BE TAUGHT IN ANY SCHOOL. REMOVE "FAILURE" FROM YOUR VOCABULARY AND REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE LIKE "HICCUP" OR "LESSON". THIS MAKES IT EASIER TO PICK YOURSELF UP AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT LESSON.