Mistakes Made In Haste

The most disappointing thing about good advice is that so much of it is ignored. As individuals we are determined to push forwards with our own agendas and plans even when our direction and attitude is clearly questionable.

Good advice comes value-added when the source is someone who has experience…a person who has felt both the pain of disappointment and the joy of success. Years do not necessarily bring with them wisdom. Good advice and wise counsel can come from any generation.

But it’s true when it’s said that common sense isn’t as common as it should be. If every one of us took advantage of accumulated wisdom…if we not only listened but actually heard…then far fewer mistakes would be made.

The problem is that the difference between good advice and bad advice can only be properly gauged and fully appreciated after the passage of time. The retrospective view is the only one that is true. Circumstance and situation in combination with personality, opportunity and potential can turn one thing into another…good into bad or bad into good.

For that reason both the person offering the advice and the target of that advice have clearly defined responsibilities. The one doing the offering must be quite certain of their motivation…that the advice is in the best interests of the recipient. And the one receiving the advice must take it under consideration. Blind acceptance can be a trap.

Mistakes are made in haste. Repeated mistakes are common. In considering today’s actions and decision it’s important to take the time to remember past errors…and to think about the ramifications moving into the future.

Life is difficult and challenging enough. Stress abounds. If we take the time to think and weigh up our options and carefully consider the true value of the available advice there’s a very good chance we can live a more peaceful and balanced life.