The Chronicle’s Business blog

An older and, we thought, wiser friend once told us we didn’t make enough mistakes. By that, he explained, he meant we should take more chances. From failure we learn. Success simply confirms we made the right choice. Most of us learn that even without taking wild chances. We will do stupid things every day. We don’t mean to and only find out after they’re done. And guess what? We learn from them. Thomas Edison said he did not make 1,000 mistakes in inventing a light bulb. He just found 1,000 ways that didn’t work. Relax. There is hope for better decisions. It’s so simple, you will scarcely believe it. You’ve known it all along. You just may not have figured it out for yourself. It’s this: When you face a difficult decision, think about what a smart person would do. Think about how Mom or Dad would decide. Even what mental process they would use to make a decision. It may not have been Mom or Dad. It may have been a coach or teacher who influenced you. It may have been a boss you greatly admired. It could be Jesus. Think about how Jesus picked his disciples. How he taught them. How he decided where to go and what to do. Who he turned to as His Mentor. You can do it, too.

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