Learning By and From Experience

"It is absolutely illogical to believe that nothing produces something, or that profoundly intricate designs have come into existence by self-generation. The more simple and natural conclusion is that there is an immeasurably great Creator and Benefactor back of all the remarkable existences which we observe and experience."

Gordon Olson

Nothing is more draining than living like a victim.  Victim living is when you see every event in life as a personal attack against you.  Victims say, “Why does this always happen to me?” or “Nothing in my life ever goes right.”  They complain and fuss about everything and always seem to need to be rescued.  We live in a social system that breeds victimhood and uses the mentality that others need to take care of me, to control people.  Don’t believe that?  Look at our welfare system and see if it is not so.  It is designed to keep people there not help them to succeed.

The truth is that many do have it hard and do need to be rescued all the time.  The deeper truth is they cause this to happen to themselves.  The old saying, “It is not what problems do to you it is what you do with problems”, is true.  We all have it hard at times.  No one has an easy ride in life; it is not designed that way.  The lists of those people who had nothing going for them and yet succeeded in life are endless.  People who had no money, no education, were too old, too young, were handicapped, were enslaved… the lists goes on, all fought their way up and succeed in life.  What is their secret?

Study after study along with human experience show us the difference maker is attitude.  Those who have and maintain a negative or bad attitude never progress in life and fall victim to life’s problems and pain.  Those who have and maintain a positive attitude tend to face the same problem and pain in life but rise above it and overcome.  It is that easy.  Oh, yes it is.  The late Napoleon Hill said, “Remember, it is profoundly significant that the only thing over which you have complete control is your own mental attitude.”  In all of creation God has given you control of only one thing, you cannot control the weather, the time, the course of history or other people, only yourself.

“Your attitude colors every aspect of your life.  It is like the mind’s paintbrush.” – John C. Maxwell

We learn from experience when we see every event in our life, good or bad, as a learning experience.  Even failure is able to be turned to a success when we learn from it.  Do not forget the classic example of Thomas Edison and the inconsistent light.  When he failed 9999 times he stated that he never really failed, he learned 9999 things that did not work.  The trick with Edison was that once he “learned” what did not work, he did not use it for that purpose again.  But Edison had a double lesson here because he realized that if something did not work in one area it may in another.  He said, “Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless.”  You must think beyond the current problem to the world of possibilities.

Far too many of us do things that do not work only to try it again doing the same things, as if it will work this time.  Remember Einstein’s definition of insanity, “…doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”  We need to look at what did not work, try to understand why and make needed adjustments to get it to work.  If I have come to understand and believe anything from my own failures it is this, every problem has an answer.

“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion.  You must set yourself on fire.” – Reggie Leach

So you can allow life to happen to you and be the victim or you can allow life to teach you and be in control.  Nothing happens by chance.  All things are there to teach you and help you to grow.  Every experience will make you bitter or better, it is up to you.  The greatest power in the universe is that of choice.  If you choose to be the victim, you will live the life of bitterness and sorrow.  If you choose the life of the over comer, you will agree with Helen Keller who said, “Security is mostly a superstition.  It does not exist in nature, not do the children of men as a whole experience it.  Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.  Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

"Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."

Barry LePalmer

© 2010 Jack Hickey