I belong to the school of thought that believes, there are no mistakes in life, only lessons which will allow you to grow and advance higher on the path of self mastery and self discipline. This is not to say that we become oblivious and reckless in our living and put to death the conscious voice of rightful living. Simply put, it is to stop being captives to our past mistakes and become the architects of our future.

Hanging on to our past and notably to the mistakes we have made is paramount to clinging to an outmoded view of reality. Constant viewing of our past mistakes as spasms of foolishness rather than lessons to learn from, often presents itself as a deadly poison that paralyzes our ability to progress and sends us to a sense of resignation to inadequacy and self pity.

We need a paradigm shift and an awakening of the conscious to view mistakes for what they are and not allow ourselves to be shaped and defined by them. In retrospect, I believe this can only be realized when we truly begin to ask ourselves the hard questions like how did we make these mistakes? Why do we make the same mistakes over and over again? Could they be avoided? How can we overcome the pain that comes with making mistakes? And most importantly, how can I begin to view my mistakes as life lessons, put them behind me and move on?

The answers to these questions lies in self-examination and the willingness to embrace our past mistakes and coming to the realization that they are inevitable and a painful process of life. Instead of wallowing in regret, self pity or even guilt, we should learn from them and forge ahead.

We shall learn to live in the present. The past is water under the bridge of life.