~!~ Learning From Mistakes...~!~

This is a story about a famous research scientist who had made several very important medical breakthroughs. He was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter who asked him why he thought he was able to be so much more creative than the average person. What set him so far apart from others ?

He responded that, in his opinion, it all came from an experience with his mother that occurred when he was about two years old. He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his grip on the slippery bottle and it fell, spilling its contents all over the kitchen floor a veritable sea of milk !

When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, giving him a lecture, or punishing him, she said, Robert, I have rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage has already been done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up ? Indeed, he did. After a few minutes, his mother said, You know, Robert, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order. So, how would you like to do that ? We could use a sponge, a towel, or a mop. Which do you prefer ? He chose the sponge and together they cleaned up the spilled milk.

His mother then said, You know, what we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let’s go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it. The little boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it.

What a wonderful lesson ! This renowned scientist then remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didn’t need to be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes were just opportunities for learning something new, which is, after all, what scientific experiments are all about.

Even if the experiment doesn’t work, we usually learn something valuable from it. Make mistakes, you learn from them . . . . but never repeat mistakes.

~!~ A Beautiful Letter From A Father ~!~

Following is a letter to his son from a renown Hong Kong TV broadcaster cum Child  Psychologist. The words are actually applicable to all of us, young or old, children or  parents.!

I am writing this to you because of 3  reasons

  1.    Life, fortune and mishaps are unpredictable, nobody  knows how long he lives. Some words are better said early.

  2.    I am your father, and if I don't tell you these, no one else will.

  3.   What is written is my own personal bitter experiences that perhaps could save you a lot of unnecessary heartaches.

  Remember the following as you go through life

1.   Do not bear grudge towards those who are not good to you. No one has the responsibility of treating you well, except your mother and I. To those who are good to you, you have to treasure it and be thankful, and ALSO you have to be cautious, because, everyone has a motive for every move. When a person is good to you, it does not mean he really likes you. You have to be  careful, don't hastily regard him as a real friend.

2.  No one is  indispensable, nothing in the world that you must possess. Once you understand this idea, it would be easier for you to go through life when people around you don't want you anymore, or when you lose what/who you love most.

3.  Life is short. When you waste your life today, tomorrow you would find that life is leaving you. The earlier you treasure your life, the better you enjoy life.

4.  Love is but a transient feeling, and this feeling would fade with time and with one's mood. If your so called loved one leaves you, be patient, time will wash away your aches and sadness. Don't over exaggerate the beauty and sweetness of love, and don't over exaggerate the sadness of falling out of  love.

5. A lot of successful  people did not receive a good education, that does not mean that you can be successful by not studying hard! Whatever knowledge you gain is your weapon in life. One can go from rags to riches, but one has to start from some  rags!

6. I do not expect you to financially support me when I am old, neither would I financially support you for whole life. My responsibility as a supporter ends when you are grown up. After that, you decide whether you want to travel in a public transport or in your limousine, whether rich or poor.

7.  You honour your words, but don't expect others to be so. You can be good to people, but don't expect people to be good to you. If you don't understand this, you would end up with unnecessary troubles.

8.  I have bought lotteries for umpteen years, but I never strike any prize. That shows if you want to be rich, you have to  work hard! There is no free lunch!

9.  No matter how much time I have with you, let's  treasure the time we have together. We do not know if we would meet again in our next  life.

Your  Dad.