A friend sent me a podcast last weekend that I’ve been listening to while driving this week. There were several main points the speaker made but one that really resonated with me was about allowing people to experience consequences to their choices without intervening. As an educator and parent, I know children learn best when natural consequences, good or bad, occur because those consequences shape future choices. Here's where I can get stuck. I know to make wise choices I need to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. However, I can’t learn from my mistakes without the opportunity to make mistakes. When I try to “help” by smoothing the way for my kids or students, I’m removing valuable opportunities for learning. I’ve learned so many lessons in my life, and I want to transfer those lessons to others, but it usually doesn’t work that way. I learn what I experience myself. I also can’t get frustrated or upset when my kids or students make a mistake. It is all part of life. My role needs to be helping people through difficult choices, not removing the difficult choices. It brings me back to surrounding myself with wise people. People who can help me through life and love me through my mistakes.
Iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 NLT