Falling Off Your Bike

We have all fallen off the bike and gotten right back on.  I remember learning how to ride my bike and I would scrape my knees, but I was so determined to learn how to ride a bike.  But my question is....are we meant to fall off the bike in order to learn something?

Mistakes...are they really mistakes? Or are they more of a moment of discovery and learning? Maybe if we viewed our mistakes as less of a negative thing and more about a positive moment of self discovery and learning, we would be more productive and less critical of ourselves.

For example, yesterday, I had a commercial audition that was a very unconventional commercial.  I flubbed the lines, did not have a great rhythm , and did not feel great about the whole process.  It is good to learn what I liked and did not like. But maybe everything I hated about my audition, were the exact things that the producers loved?! In all reality, maybe those things were not "mistakes," but it is my own way of viewing them that defined them as "mistakes."

I know there have been many moments in my own life that I have felt like I have made a mistake, but maybe all of those things were meant to happen in order for me to learn and grow.  Yes, it is difficult to be less critical of myself and my accomplishments.  There have been many twists and turns, but I think that is part of the enjoyment of life.  The road of life can have many paths and sometimes you fall off that bike but  the main question  is.......will you get on the bike again and take the same route or is it time to take a new path?

I find sometimes when we encounter "mistakes" in life, it is often a time to reflect on how life is flowing and maybe do something new or take the path less traveled.  Often times people feel stuck and on autopilot due to the expectations of society, family, friends, coworkers, etc and continue like a hamster running on a wheel.  I know that I felt that many, many times.  However, sometimes you need to stop running in order to gain more momentum.

For myself, this past year has been a year of many ups and downs, and I had many moments of learning/discovery ("mistakes") and now am applying for MFA Acting programs.  It is a different path and alternative path and I would not have gotten here without my "mistakes."  But I couldn't be more content with this decision and maybe another path will ultimately present itself through this whole process.

We all fall off the bike from time to time.  It is o.k. to scrape your knees...it reminds us that we are human. When you get back on the bike, which path are you going to take the next time?

Ride your bike, scrape your knees, pop a wheelie, ride the bike with no hands...it is your journey...enjoy the ride.

McGee