it got easier as he got older... 🐟
"I never thought I'd be saying this," he said. "but I think the goldfish really has something on the elephant."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Well, an elephant (🐘) never forgets, and a goldfish (🐟) has a memory of what, 3 seconds?" he said.
"Yeah. So you want to be a goldfish?"
"For certain things, absolutely. When I was younger I remembered all my mistakes, all my failures, I thought I was helping myself. I wasn't." He paused and took a second to look out the window and away from our zoom screen. "I actually think part of it has been getting older," he continued. "I just care a bit less now and I put it more in perspective -- it's not a big deal. And that makes it a lot easier to forget."
I nodded, hand cramping while I scribbled down what he was saying.
"And that," he added after a moment, "makes me happier."
🐟🧡 This lawyer was on to something. Carrying all your mistakes with you is like trying to drive your car with a parachute out the trunk. You'll get to where you're going, but it'll be harder, slower, and it'll take far more energy.
We have habitual ways of thinking (particularly when it comes to thinking about our mistakes), so don't expect to change it overnight. At the same time, don't let that be the excuse why you don't bother to tackle it at all. You've got this.
Much love,
Paul
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