Mistakes and Recovery

Mistakes and recovery

In order to learn, we have to develop a healthy relationship with mistakes. I often tell my students, “try your best, don’t worry about being perfect because it’s not possible.”

That’s easy for me to say, but harder for me to experience. When I’m a student, I learn so much about myself. I am put in positions where my best wasn’t enough for the moment, where I misread a horse or scenario, or just plain didn’t respond at all. It is uncomfortable to make mistakes, and even more to make those publicly.

But if we are more concerned with our own image or comfort than growth, we lose one of the most important lessons- recovery.

It is essential to be aware of the mistake to learn from it. It’s very important to be able to admit what we failed at so that we can be sure to adapt and adjust for the future. But what is harder for many to learn is how to recover - to shake it off and regroup with fresh awareness and calm.

One of the great benefits of making mistakes is to learn that it is inevitable - shoot for 100% and regroup when we meet failure. The more we practice the skill of regrouping, the better at it we can be.

Make your mistake, learn from it, and regroup: emotionally; physically, spiritually. Then get back in the pen.