My parents taught me what the best teachers tell us all: that it is no sin to make a mistake, but unpardonable not to try to make the most of our talents.
—Madeleine Albright
Did any of your parents and teachers teach that? If not do you think it would have been a good idea? I believe in figuring out what we’re both good and bad at, and that means trying things and making mistakes. I adopted that philosophy when I was a young adult, but I’m glad I wasn’t pressured to make the most of my talents. I use them because they make me happy. For me joy is a much more powerful motivator.
What about you?
April 9, 2022
I’ve always been told that making mistakes is how we learn and I wholeheartedly believe that. Whenever I have to correct someone at work for a mistake they make, I always say that there’s nothing wrong with mistakes, it’s when you keep repeating the same ones that it becomes a problem.
As for making the most of our talents, I agree with what you said.
Good for you. You’re a great boss. 🙂
No one taught me this growing up. But for me, it is a joy to be using the abilities that God blessed me with. And to know I have a purpose.
Yes, having a sense of purpose and direction is vital, I think.
My parents and all the adults in my life, believed and taught that girls were meant to grow up and get married and produce babies. The teachers taught us to be mothers or secretaries.. I lived in a strict, follow the rules enviroment, the do’s and don’ts life… also made a difference that we lived below the poverty line my entire life until I was over 40. that makes a huge difference in how we see things and do things. I do agree that we should use the gifts God gave us and I did manage to do sometimes.
That was fairly typical for that day and age. I was the lazy one in the family because I liked to read and study. My mother told me never to let boys know how smart I was because then I would never find a husband. When I got a scholarship and went off to college she was sure I would be a lonely old maid. I loved my folks dearly, but I didn’t always agree with them.
My mom always did say that if someone had not made some mistakes. They had not done anything. And had a professor in college say the only dumb question is the one not asked.
Good for them!
Thankfully, no. Unless you count my having to take both piano and violin lessons, at which I sucked.
This philosophy sounds a bit like how the young Soviet/Eastern European Olympic athletes are schooled. While I’ve no particular talents, I appreciate those who have discovered theirs naturally.
🙂
My parents didn’t say those words but they let me try anything I took an interest in.
That’s good. 🙂
I doubt my Mother or even my Father said anything about that to me…I was sickly and disabled child who was given no real help to be anything that I am today. By the time I was in my 20s they had “passed” and whatever I did from then on was my own ideals.
And yes, I’ve made some whopping mistakes, some unnoticeable mistakes – most of which I’ve learned from!
Now I do what I like – because there isn’t a grumpy relative to say “no, you can’t…”
Hurray for that! My mother would say, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” 🙂