“From the Ancient Wisdoms to Quantum Physics,
It’s All About the Energy!”
Why Do We Make "Mistakes?"©
Dennis L. Dossett
(All Rights Reserved)
Readers of this blog may recall last month’s edition, “Happy Accidents,” in which I reported Maitreya’s teaching (Channeled by Margaret McElroy) that “There are no mistakes, only choices” (Newsletter #309, April 9, 2010). I discovered over the past month that some people think that statement sounds like a blatant euphemism, that “choice” is just another name for “mistake.” In other words, if Maitreya is to be believed, mistakes do not really exist! But, in that same newsletter Maitreya also stated that, “If you did not make mistakes—as you on Earth call it—you would never learn.” It is not that mistakes do not exist. In many of his newsletters, Maitreya was very clear about making “mistakes.” For example:
• “I understand when you are in pain that you find it hard to control your feelings and your words, but unless you do, you will continue to keep making the same mistakes.” (Newsletter #283, January 22, 2010)
• “Lifetime after lifetime as the Lower Self controls the soul, many mistakes are made.” (Newsletter #340, July 26, 2010)
• “We [the Masters] do not expect perfection; it is a part of life to make mistakes and to falter on the journey. However, we ask that you be aware of this and not run away or pretend it never happens. There is nothing wrong with making a mistake or an error. We will not judge you or be upset with you. It is YOU who becomes upset with yourself. If the [Lower] Self gets to you and makes you want to run away, do not do so!” (Newsletter #170, December 3, 2005)
And finally, a reassuring statement (for us) on this point from Maitreya:
• “We [the Masters] are not deities ... and are not to be placed on pedestals. We are no more than you are, as you would say on the earth plane. Yes, we have earned the promotion and are now high up on the corporate ladder! It may surprise you to know that we make mistakes in the spiritual planes as well. Sometimes, we miscalculate our timing. We are not perfect either. There is one joint goal in the ‘Halls of the Masters’ and that is to make the earth plane as it is in Spirit, a joyful, happy place where ego no longer exists—a place where everyone can realize their talent and potential, and where poverty, doubt, fear, and lack is no longer present.” (Newsletter #93, January 1, 2004)
In short, “mistakes” are real (as all of us mortals are painfully aware), and “choice” is not a euphemism but a critical component of how we respond when we make a “mistake.” If our response to the experience of making a mistake leads to learning a life lesson, then the mistake can at least be regarded as a “Happy Accident.” So, why can’t somebody (maybe the Masters) just write all this stuff about life lessons in a book (or at least as series of blogs—LOL!) so we can “learn” them and get on with the business of raising our vibration (a.k.a., “soul evolution”)?
The answer to that question requires understanding the difference between Knowledge and Wisdom. Knowledge is simply “facts, procedures, etc.”—all material. Wisdom is how well you use your knowledge to align your life with Higher Self. Wisdom is the spiritually referenced use of knowledge, and it can only be learned through life experience. Why is that important? Let me ask you a question: Think about the tests / exams you took for a particular subject when you were in school. Those exams were designed to “test” the degree to which you learned the course material. How much of what you were “tested” on do you actually remember today? The answer will for a large portion of your formal education will likely range from “some” to “little or none”.
So, what do you remember? You remember lessons learned through life experience. Most of those lessons you will never forget because they have a personal meaning for you that cannot be obtained through lectures or textbooks. It is personalized life experience that makes the difference, and the “personalized” part of that is that it is tailor-made to your own requirements for soul evolution. No one else has exactly the same needs in terms of content, context, and procedure as you do because each of us has our own unique soul history.
Obviously, human beings need both knowledge and wisdom to adequately function in this life. But the former you can’t take with you into the next incarnation (for example, how many times have you had to learn that 2+2=4? Every lifetime in which there was the concept of “number” in the culture!) Wisdom, on the other hand, is gained only through life experience, otherwise you would likely “forget” it. Wisdom is the essence of soul-level learning, and that is what you take with you into a subsequent incarnation to refine and add to for your soul growth.
So, why do we make “mistakes?” There are several reasons including:
(1)
We haven’t yet learned one or more life (a.k.a., “spiritual”) lessons. We will continue to make the same mistakes over and over (often for many lifetimes) until we “get it.” We can only truly and completely understand a life lesson through our own, unique life experience. And just how many life lessons can you really “learn” in one lifetime? Not as many as you would like to think given a number of other factors. After all, how many lifetimes have you been trying to learn all your life lessons already? A major lesson here is “Persistence pays big dividends—in the long run!”
(2)
We respond out of “Habit” and, as I have said many times before, “Old habits die hard!” Some habits can be functional (aligned with Higher Self and assisting you on your soul journey), but many others are dysfunctional (see Reason #3 next). But the problem with any habit is that we react / respond to situations and people without having to think much about them (a.k.a., Unconscious Living). Thinking about what we want or are about to do before we do it requires W-O-R-K, something most human beings try to minimize if possible. But it also involves CHANGE. Most people would much rather try to change their circumstances than to change themselves (soul growth). Either way, habits are simply a variation on the “Comfort Zone” theme (another major life lesson!).
(3)
We listen to our [Lower] Self rather than our Higher Self. The Lower Self is a powerful proponent of Habit, and it loves to keep us chained to our Comfort Zone. But just as Maitreya tells us that “There are no accidents” and “Everything is perfect” just as it is, we need to keep in mind that the Lower Self is not exempt from those same teachings (see my blog, “In Defense of the Lower Self”). As I stated there, “I am no friend of the Lower Self, and I don’t expect anyone else to be so either. But through this early morning experience, I now have a very different perspective of the Lower Self, and I am ever so (reluctantly) thankful that it is actually an ally in my life as I endeavor to raise my vibration through Conscious Living.”
Why do we listen to the Lower Self? Again, there are several reasons:
(1)
Stubbornness (“my way” vs. what is in “our collective interest.” We are not here on the earth plane alone. While there is a tendency to regard life lessons as a purely individual issue, I believe that societies and cultures also play an important part in individual choices and behaviors. After all, they tend to reinforce and reflect the individual values and mores of their constituents. That is part of the reason why the best thing any individual can do for anyone else is to become the best version of themselves. As individuals raise their vibration, so does their community, society, nation, and culture. This principle extends to karma as well (yet another life lesson!).
(2)
We haven’t learned to discern or distinguish between Higher Self and Lower Self. Let’s face it: when trying to use your brain to do so, very often the two “voices” sound almost identical. That is a favorite tool used by the Lower Self to keep you in check. In many ways the human left-brain is an ideal playground of the Lower Self and is often employed in its battle for control. But there is a sure-fire way to distinguish the difference, and that involves “listening to” and “trusting” your feelings, your intuition (registered in the human right brain). That method is to simply “feel” whether the situation, thought, action—whatever—is vibrationally aligned with your Higher Self (that is, does it “feel uplifting?”). But that skill is not taught in schools and, even if it were, it can only be truly learned in the battle of daily life experience (and yet another life lesson!).
There is much more to this topic, but I have exhausted my space, run out of time, and have probably tested my readers’ patience. On that note I will continue this discussion next month when the topic will be, How do we stop making “mistakes?” Until then, I’m practicing the following mantra: “I don’t make mistakes; I create learning opportunities” (and plenty of them!). May all of your mistakes be Happy Accidents in the coming year. Have a great month!
Dennis
www.DennisDossett.com