Last week I thought I had made a financially costly mistake. As it turned out, I had not. But still, the experience of thinking I had made a mistake and my reaction to it, made me realize I still had quite a bit of work to do on embracing the learning process.

Mistakes are an inevitable part of life, and when we see them as bad we really suffer.

Of course, none of us want to make mistakes and it is great to aspire to be thoughtful as we move through our lives, but even under the best of circumstances we will all falter.

We are human and we are learning, their is simply no way around this. Everyone we come in contact with is also human and learning. The sooner we embrace this reality the happier we will be.

In addition to the fact that we are human and learning, we are also spirit and filled with greatness and so is everyone else.

Learning to hold these two awarenesses simultaneously is part of what we are here to do.

Anyway, as I was contemplating all this and working on embracing the learning process, I wrote the following post to help me remember.

Thought I’d share it here, in case any of you are working on the same lessons.

I am learning and growing.

The earth is a school.
We have come for learning and we have come for growth.
That is why we are here.

And so, do not be so surprised by the mistakes, as if you had hope of not making any.

We have come for growth and we have come for learning, and
We have come to serve and we have come to enjoy.

Embrace all aspects of your journey.

Embrace the learning.
Embrace the growth.
Embrace your enjoyment and
Embrace your service.

Embrace all aspects of why you are here.

Affirm often:

I embrace the learning process.
I welcome the learning process.

I have come for growth and I have come for learning, it is a large part of why I am here.

The earth is a school and we have all come for growth.
We have all come for learning.

And so, embrace the learning process and embrace the growth process.

Know that you have come for growth.
Know that you have come for learning.

Remember why you are here and do not be so surprised by the process.

Have deep compassion for yourself and deep compassion for others, for all are learning and all are growing and no one is exempt.

Do not expect perfection from yourself and do not expect perfection from others.

We are all learning and we are all growing.

You may be extremely wise in one moment and you may be foolish in the next.
And this discrepancy may cause you great pain.
But know that is too is part of the process of life.

All are human, and all are learning and growing.
And all our spirit, and all filled with divinity and greatness.

You may encounter others who exhibit great wisdom in one moment and great foolishness in the next.

Learn to have compassion for their process as well.

For everyone is filled with greatness and great divinity and
All are human and learning.

Do not be so surprised by this process and do not be so hurt by this process.

It is the process of life and so step into your maturity now and come to understand the ways of the world. Come to understand deeply that all are learning and that all are growing and that no one is exempt.

Come to accept that you may be wise in one moment and not as wise in the next.
Come to accept that others will have this discrepancy as well.

This discrepancy is painful unless you understand that everyone is filled with divinity and greatness and that at the same time everyone is human and learning.

And so, come to embrace the entirety of who you.

Embrace your divinity.
Embrace your wisdom.
Embrace your greatness.
Embrace that you are human and that you are learning.
Embrace your humility.
Embrace that you have blind spots and
Embrace that you have places of weakness that are less developed inside of yourself.

Seek to develop your strengths and seek to heal your weaknesses, for that is what you have come to do.

You have come to grow.
You have come to learn.
You have come to enjoy and you have come to serve.

And so embrace it all now.

Embrace the growth.
Embrace the learning.
Embrace that you human.
Embrace that you are spirit and filled with greatness.
Embrace it all and feel compassion for yourself and for the journey.

Feel compassion for others and for their journey, for they too are filled with greatness and great wisdom, and they too are human and they have weaknesses and they are learning and growing.

Have compassion for yourself and have compassion for others.
For everyone is learning and everyone is growing and there is no way around this.

Again, step into your maturity.

Step into your understanding and know that everyone is learning and everyone is growing.

Expect the imbalances.
Do not be so shocked by them.

Whether they are your own imbalances or the imbalances of others.

Embrace it all.
Embrace your strengths and embrace your weaknesses.

Embrace the strengths of others and
Embrace the weaknesses of others.

Be gentle with yourself and be compassionate.
At the same time be disciplined and be firm.

Learn what you’ve come here to learn and you will be satisfied with your journey.

~Hayley Mermelstein
c.2015