Opportunities to Learn, Ears to Clean

 I am blessed to have continued opportunities to learn and improve. Sometimes, if I find myself repeating the same mistakes again and again, I can either have the attitude of self anger or hatred, or I can look at it with curiosity. Put it this way: the fact that something is a habit means that it's predictable and subject to experimentation. If everything about me was completely unpredictable or spontaneous, there is no way for me to even identify what needs to change or develop. At least seeing a pattern is a good first step toward change.
   Even when a mistake is made again and I did not perform as expected, this is great, because it allows me to go back and re-examine the same experience from different angles, thus expanding my sense of complexity. It also allows me to recruit other people whom I would not have otherwise encountered in my life, to help. This happened to me when I recently had to get my ear checked for congestion. I made the mistake of using too much (and the wrong) kind of oil to remove earwax, only to find later that it pushed the wax deeper into the ear canal. Now, if I didn't make this mistake in the first place, I wouldn't have learned how to be more cautious in the future. I would also not have learned that it's best not to rashly jump to a solution when there is a problem that I am unfamiliar with. These kinds of experiences impart subtle forms of everyday wisdom which can be seen as precious jewels in their own light.
    Having to repeat the same mistake again also allows me the experience of suffering the same mistake, which can also deepen my sense of caution, compassion and the urgency to realize wisdom through spiritual practice.