I’m sure you have heard the analogy of the traveler who picks up stones and puts them in their backpack until they are weighed down and can’t go on. The stones are baggage that the traveler needs to free themselves from so they can continue on their journey.
I was reminded of this with a saying I came across. It says, “Don’t carry your mistakes around with you. Instead, place them under your feet, and use them as stepping stones to rise above them.” Ryan Ferreras
I often get comments from YouTube viewers that they have messed up and ruined their lives. They aren’t even trying to go on, they have given up. If only they could take the stones and start stepping on them. It's like I always say, “It isn't a choice until you see it as a choice.”
It isn’t about tossing the stones aside but putting them under your feet. Learn from your mistakes and use them as a foundation for your next steps.
Mistakes become stepping stones to get us to the next part of our journey. I am grateful for my mistakes because I learned something along the way. Sometimes it was about me, about others, or to try something different.
I’m not even going to ask if you have made a mistake. We all make mistakes. That is how we roll here on earth. Take those mistakes and own them. Don’t try to hide them, avoid them, or ignore them. Own the mistakes, take responsibility, and learn from them.
Shame, guilt, and regret add to the weight of the stones. Deal with the mistake so you can forgive yourself and start stepping on those stones to create a new path full of possibility.