If I knew then what I know now

Posted on | May 29, 2009 | No Comments

Albert Einstein supposedly said, “The only souce of knowledge is experience.” I’m not sure I agree with Al on that one, but he’s not wrong. The various experiences we have in our lives do teach us a lot about ourselves and the world around us.

Earlier this week, Soul Pancake asked readers to list 3 experiences they’ve had that they wish every single person could have. It’s a pretty heady thing, wishing an experience for someone else, especially when the best experiences happen almost by accident. Still, I gave it some thought because I figured I’ve had a few experiences worth sharing.

#1 – Experience another culture or faith. Partly due to my frustration that utter ignorance still exists in the world and partly because I’ve had an untraditional upbringing, I feel very strongly about the benefits that come when you open yourself up to something completely foreign and new. Experiencing a new culture or faith forces us to step outside of our familiar – and comfortable – lives and see the world through new eyes. During my most naive moments, I think that understanding someone else’s culture or religion could go a long way in helping to resolve so many conflicts (which is, as I’ve said, very naive, but also hopeful and idealistic).

You don’t have to travel the world to it, either. I’ve never been to Israel, but I did spend a good portion of my formative years at the local Jewish Community Center. I’ve also never been to India, but thanks to my sister-in-law and her family, I’m now a fan of curries and Bangra music. Kristin (of Halfway to Normal) manages to find diversity through food and Zoe Westhof’s discussion of her life in Thailand has piqued my interest in learning more about the Far East. Some much emphasis is placed on how we’re all different. Why not try to figure out how we’re similar?

#2 – Experience love – in any form. There’s that old cliche: “it’s better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” A bit corny, but true. Opening ourselves up to love means we have to be vulnerable, we have to show the parts of ourselves we’d rather hide. It’s the most terrifying thing I can imagine – and also the most rewarding. And it’s not limited to romantic love either. The love between parents and child, siblings, cousins, friends all have the ability to change our lives. When you love someone (and they love you), you’re not overlooking flaws and bad habits. You’re embracing them, loving in spite of the things that make you crazy. You’re saying to someone else, “You matter to me.” Those words are so simple and yet the meaning behind them is so powerful. “You matter. You are important.” In a world with billions of people, it could be easy to feel small, lost and insignificant. Love lets us feel like the most important person in the world – even if it’s only to one person.

#3 – Experience failure. We’re not perfect. Not even close. So of course we’re going to make mistakes. It’s good to make mistakes. That’s how we learn. Failure keeps us humble, keeps us from becoming too complacent with ourselves and our abilities. It helps keep our ego in check and reminds us that there’s always something more to learn, always something more to strive for. Failure also gives us the chance to learn what not to do. We all know the stories: Thomas Edison had nearly 1,000 prototypes that didn’t work before one of his inventions did work; Albert Einstein dropped out of school at age 16. Failure didn’t stop them – it just propelled them to work harder. Failing means learning from our mistakes, then trying again. Babies don’t walk the first time they try. They fall down. A lot. What would the world be like if we never tried again? We’d have a bunch of crawling adults. Sometimes you have to fall on your face. And then get up and try again.

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