Wisdom is something we learn. We’ve all heard that hindsight is 20/20 vision. Right? So, why do we waste so much time looking back? Why is it so easy to be beset with the shoulda woulda coulda syndrome? If anything is a waste of time, it’s second-guessing, wishing we had made a different decision, a different choice.
Not only are we prone to do this for our own actions, but for others as well. Another word for it is criticism. Being critical of others is a little easier than being critical of ourselves.
It’s a funny thing that when we look back, we can’t see in front of us and are prone to stumble. We miss out on the joys and happiness in the here and now when we wallow in mistakes of the past. Mistakes are the keys of wisdom.
It seems to me that remembering wrong decisions should serve only one purpose–to teach a lesson. We can let them be stumbling blocks or stepping-stones. I prefer stepping-stones.
And now the answer to today’s mini mystery which, let me tell you, was a learning experience: In the yard of Manos Meadows once, long ago, I saw a baby blue jay that had tumbled from its nest. The ground is a dangerous place for a small bird who can’t fly so, I picked it up and set it in the cedar. I was about to go back into my house when a hard thump hit my head. Looking up, I saw the mama blue jay, madder than a wet hen, and she looked as if she would gladly repeat her past performance. That peck was so hard, it gave me a headache the rest of the day. Lesson learned: don’t try to be helpful if my help is not wanted.
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