In his book “How to get from where you are to where you want to be”, Jack Canfield tells the story of a famous scientist who, when he was 2-year-old, tried to grab a bottle of milk out of the refrigerator and dropped it on the floor.
His mother, instead of scolding him, said, “What a wonderful mess you’ve made! I’ve rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage is already done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk before we clean it up?” So he did until his mother suggested, “You know, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up. So, how would you like to do that? We could use a towel, sponge, or mop. Which do you prefer?”
After they had mopped, she said, “What we have here is a failed experiment in how to carry a big bottle of milk with two tiny hands. Let’s go out in the backyard, fill the bottle with water, and see if you can discover how to carry it without dropping it.” And they did.
From that moment the scientist knew he shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, he learned that MISTAKES ARE JUST OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING SOMETHING NEW!
Thank you Jack Canfield, you inspire me every day!