"An individual ant, even though it has a brain about a millionth of a size of a human being's, can learn a maze; the kind we use is a simple rat maze in a laboratory. They can learn it about one-half as fast as a rat."
~ E. O. Wilson
And rats learn pretty quickly, more quickly than we humans do in some ways.
What kind of touchstone quote is this? you may be asking.
Granted, it's different.
I chose it because I'm writing this
after having a thoughtful conversation with my scientist brother, Keith.
Keith shared a story with me about guiding a young man to learn from mistakes.
Instead of getting discouraged and beating himself up, Keith advised him to be like a rat in a maze. "Just don't repeat that choice," said Keith. "Try a new way and you'll find your way."
Somehow, better
than I'm saying here, Keith used the lowly rat as a model for that young man.
The rat - and the ant - can be models for each of us as we reflect on the past and look to the future.
We've all heard at times that:
Mistakes are okay.
Mistakes can be valuable.
Don't beat yourself up.
But we may also have heard:
Strive to be perfect.
Do it right the first time.
Do not make mistakes!
How many times do you have to do that before you learn?
This last touchstone for 2016 offers some intentions for each of us to consider:
Let's wrap every mistake we made in the past with blankets of loving and healing compassion.
Let's reflect on each mistake and discover at least one valuable learning
from it.
Let's prepare ourselves for greater discoveries by being ready and willing to try new ways...and make more mistakes!
Let's commit ourselves to less judging and more loving in the new year.
Finally, let's cultivate more respect and reverence for all the earth's animals, especially those that, up until now, have seemed creepy or scary or icky or lowly to us.
One more: Let's cultivate more respect and reverence for all the earth's peoples too!
With faith, hope, and love,
Charlene
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