Try Again

As children, most of us learned how to ride a bicycle. Someone taught us, perhaps a parent or an older sibling. Bravely, we would step up alongside the shiny bike, take a breath, and perch on its seat.

A figure would guide us at first. They would hold onto our back, pushing the bike forward until we felt comfortable pedaling on our own.

At first, we felt free.

Shaken with excitement, we continued pedaling down the sidewalk until the inevitable happened. We hit a rock on the sidewalk and lost control.

Breathless, our body fell to pavement.

Our mentor ran over to help, ensuring we had merely been scratched. We crumpled into them, saddened by the sudden change of events. We were in control! Weren’t we? We gripped the handle bars tightly and pedaled correctly. So why had we fallen?

Afterwards, we would look at the bike, nervous about another attempt. Someone would tell us to try again. Falling to the sidewalk after your first bike ride is normal. But the greatest achievement arises for the one who gives it another shot.

So, we got back on that bike, wiped the dirt from our face, and began pedaling. Determined, we tried again, and smoothly swerved around any rocks in our way. The training wheels had been taken off, and we had succeeded at a new task.

Your Experiences Can Make or Break You

One single experience should never have the power to ruin a life, nor should you allow it. You may not excel at every task you attempt. But giving up completely due to one singular experience will not enhance your life in any way. It will have been a pointless event, one that you likely put forth a lot of effort into, but will have left you with meaningless knowledge.

Life is about what you put into it. It’s a combination of our past experiences that guides our individual futures.

Trying a new recipe may lead to a disaster in your kitchen. Attempting a new yoga move may leave you sore in all the wrong places. But these acts are similar to riding bike for the first time as a child.

The new dish you proudly place on the dinner table may be harsh in taste, and that yoga move may create a lasting muscle cramp in your thigh. Picking up the pieces, noting any necessary criticism as constructive, you can get back up and try again.

Don’t allow new tasks the opportunity to be meaningless. Take your failures in stride and learn from your mistakes. While you may not be the next Iron Chef, you just might be able to create a wonderful replica of that stir fry dish. All those kitchen disasters simply provide you more knowledge of what sorts of dishes you can prepare in the future.

Just like riding a bike, we can dust the dirt off and give it another go.

Learning new skills can be difficult. But you will be better off learning something from your attempts, even if you fail.

Try again, folks. Trust in yourself. The endgame will be worth it.

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