Mistakes
Warren Buffet is famous for his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway's shareholders. He offers much more folksy advice and reflection than the standard corporate executive's yearly report.
This year's letter started out with an admission that feels all to uncommon: "... I've made mistakes ..."
He clarifies that sometimes there are overarching legal principals that prevent such a statement from being made in an official or public way. But we all make mistakes, of course. And most of us recognize that learning from those mistakes, and using those mistakes to spur growth is what ultimately defines us.
I imagine that admitting mistakes – or that you have things to learn – gets harder the more successful and admired one becomes. Or at least easer to convince yourself that you shouldn't or don't need to own up to shortcomings.
Buffet then sidesteps into some discussion of hiring mistakes, and also highlights the impact of good hiring decisions. It's within this context that he offers the thought I liked most: "Mistakes fade away ..."
Time heals all wounds, it's said. Acknowledging our mistakes and growing through them are the first steps, and are important to help mistakes fade away. But we also have to be willing to forgive ourselves and focus our attention on our winners.