Live Life as an Experiment!
Hello friends,
Every spring we have an opportunity to plant a garden at a community site that is owned by our church. We basically rent a garden row and our responsibility is to plant, weed, and make sure the water gets down the rows. The irrigation water comes in two times a week. Over the years, I have always tried to plant one new item in the garden – see how it grows, what I need to do differently, what I need to add to my soil, and whether or not I will try that particular plant again. This reminded me of an article that was written by Terri Flint who is a social worker that retired from Intermountain Health as their Employee Wellness Director. The article is “Live life as an experiment!”
There is a quote in the article by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He believed this same view applies to life; “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better!”
Terri then poses the question, “I wonder if we view life as a series of experiments, each one giving us valuable results on what does and doesn’t bring us JOY? Instead of labeling ourselves as weak or unable to do difficult things, we could transform our unsuccessful attempts as useful information that helps us plan our next steps forward.”
She gives some key points as to why the mindset of experiment works:
* The word “experiment” implies that to achieve a goal or make a discovery, it takes time to test what works and doesn’t work. If the outcome just happened, there would be no need to experiment “I’ll keep trying until I find what works.”
* Experiments focus on the process, not just the goal. This provides success whenever there is action instead of waiting to celebrate only when the goal is completed. “This will take some time for me to figure out how to do this goal. My efforts count!”
* In an experiment, failure is NOT personal. It is just a part of the process. The discoveries of what doesn’t work can be just as exciting as what does. “Good to know that doesn’t work. What should I try next?”
* We can learn from other’s experiments and the expertise they have gained, but many times we have to discover how to apply it to our own situation. “I am glad running works for you, but I need to get physical activity a different way.”
*Remember, all experts were once beginners. There are no quick fixes or magical wands when it comes to becoming a better person or acquiring new skills. Every expert will share their story of learning from many trials. “They went through a hard time, too, but they didn’t give up.”
Terri then gives a challenge in the article.
TRY THIS… Sometime soon, try relabeling an effort toward a goal as an experiment. Examine the effort as if you were a scientist with the intention of curiosity and discovery. Ask yourself, “What did I just observe and learn from this action that I can apply to my next step?” This is also a great way to help children learn from failure rather than feel like a failure.
Winston Churchill offers this affirmation, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. Labeling our efforts as experiments creates the enthusiasm to keep trying!”
The article was such a great reminder to not be so hard on ourselves and rejoice in our efforts, even if the results are not what we expected. Changing our mindset allows us the grace to learn, grow, discover, and live a healthier life not only in body but mind as well.
Happy Spring!!!
Carrie Jolley