Mistakes

As I split wood, every log I pick up and put on the chopping block is a reminder. I am reminded of the trees I brought down to provide us with heat this Winter. I am reminded of the damage I did not do to the cabin or myself in doing so. I am also reminded of the mistakes I made when I cut a log too short or too long. Both instances will require some form of adjustment in the splitting process that will mean more work.

As I ponder this, it occurs to me that no matter what I encounter in the splitting process, eventually all the wood will be split and stacked. Finally, it will all be burned, along with the evidence of my mistakes. As we burn the wood this Winter, all my errors will turn onto smoke and vanish up through the chimney. All that will be left is knowledge.

Today, I will be paying attention to the fact that everything I do creates knowledge. I can use this knowledge to inform the moment I am in, or to keep me stuck in past mistakes.