We’ve all made them. Mistakes, that is. Sometimes they feel inconsequential, and sometimes they can become train wrecks. But they are always around, and we really shouldn’t fear them. It’s when other expect too much that mistakes can feel so burdensome. But you know what, no one is perfect. I really love this quote by Neils Bohr, because it really does reflect the reality of expertise. You can only become an expert after you’ve done it all, wrong and right. Not OR, but AND. If someone tells you they got it right on the first try, then someone else will be waiting to sell you that amazing bridge they have. Naivete is thinking that you’ve reached the end of a quest. Reality is seeing that fork in the road that will bring out new ideas. So, while the field (work) might be narrow, the field (landscape) is a wide as the sky. Take a chunk of it, learn as much as you can, and then keep moving forward. Accept that mistakes are part of your landscape. Because they’re sure a part of mine (and everyone else’s).
And by all means, enjoy the ride. There’s joy to be found in knowledge!
