Introduction
I believe each day we learn lifelong lessons. Some of the lessons we learned could have been avoided but because we were hard-headed, some of so us learnt our lessons the hard way. There are some that may argue that learning your lessons the hard way is a good thing as it may allow you to grow and develop into a better individual. Unfortunately though, even though we learned some lessons the hard way, we still repeat some of the same mistakes because we always feel this time it will be different.
This article will address some of the things we can do to avoid learning lessons the hard way.
Read and pay attention to the details
Some of us do not like to read and we sign contracts and agreements without paying attention to the details and as a result it may be too late when we discover that what we thought we signed up for was not what we signed up for.
In order to avoid this hard lesson, read and pay attention to the details. Do not depend on what you hear other people say about what they read because it may not be true. Do not assume everything is intact. Do not let anyone rush you into signing something. The best thing to do is to request additional time and use that time to read the documents.
When you read and pay attention to details, you will not regret it. There was a recent petition being circulated in the Turks and Caicos but I did not sign the petition. While I support the message behind the petition, there was some words and sentences used in the petition that I did not want my name to be associated with.
Listen
Growing up in the Turks and Caicos Islands, there was a common phrase that parents told their children which is “you too hard-headed.” Many children felt though, that their parents were depriving them of their joy so they did not listen to the advice. Most of these individuals have many regrets for not listening to their parents. You see parents have more experience than their children and so the advice they gave are based on their experience.
Solomon was one of the wisest persons in the Bible but he learned a lesson the hard way by marrying foreign women when God told him not to do so. The fear was that he would worship the foreign gods that the foreign women did and lo and behold he did. As a result the Kingdom was divided.
How many of us lost our position because we did not listen? Sometimes we think we know everything and so we do not listen to the advice from others. Some people do not want any advice because they feel they will not get any credit for the advice. Some people are threaten by others and so they do not take heed to the advice given.
Be humble
Some of us are full or pride and arrogance due to our positions and financial and educational background. Not because you are in a better position than others mean you should discriminate against others who have less than you. Remember you may not be in that position forever. You can get fired, you can sick and pandemics such as COVID 19 can also impact you. The best thing to do is to be humble and do not forget to give God the Glory because when you fall, it will be a big fall and no one will have empathy for you.
King Nebuchadnezzar learned his lesson the hard way. He was giving himself all the credit and praise. He was full of himself. King Nebuchadnezzar ended up living with wild animals and eating grass like the ox. Only when the King give Glory to the Lord he was restored. However, he could have avoided the hardships if he had humble himself from the beginning and give God the Glory.
Conclusion
Learning your lessons the hard way can be very costly. Despite what it may cost you, do not worry about it but rather use it as a learning experience. However, do your best to follow the three areas in the aforementioned so that you can avoid hard falls.