Assembly Speech - Mistakes
Very good morning to you all,
Today, at a time when we are heading along to our final exams, I’d like to speak on what we fear most and what we are most ashamed of. Yes… I am thinking about mistakes. Many students refuse to work, refuse to play, refuse to speak and refuse to write only because of one fear- the fear of mistakes. We fear others will come to know about our mistakes, our limits if we do something.
Are mistakes really such monsters to be worried about? Do we have to be ashamed of mistakes? Never. We should work to be free, not from mistakes, but from fear of mistakes. If a child simply lies on the bed or in the cradle, it is in the safety of inaction. But this safe inaction doesn’t do any help. The moment children start learning how to walk, they begin to fall. These failings perfect and mould us as walkers. Yes- our mistakes are signs that we are doing something, learning something. You commit no error in the gallery, but on ground, you do. So errors mean you are a player.
Mistakes expose our limitations. But remember, every limitation is a possibility if we use it properly. No one can write in the air which is infinite. But you can write on a paper which is a limited space. Every limit is an enabling limit. So don’t fear our limitations. Don’t fear exposing our limitations. At the end of the day what matters is what you have done, not what you have failed to do.
But, there is one thing. Be open to our mistakes. If you admit that mistakes and limitations trigger action and thought, it also means we are all fallible. No one can claim he won’t do wrong. No one can claim to be free of mistakes. We must accept we can err, we can commit mistakes. Then we should be ready to correct. Yes, there is nothing to be shamed in making errors. But it is shameful if we don’t have the strength and confidence to correct ourselves. Growth is nothing but a continuous, never ending process of self-correction. If learning involves getting something new, it also means unlearning something old.
Correction of mistakes is impossible without having humility and responsiveness to others. We must listen to other people, especially elders – not because they are always correct. But at least they are more experienced than us in committing mistakes. There is a saying: “those who don’t study history will repeat it”. It is true. If we don’t listen to others, we may repeat their mistakes. That is the greatest danger for an insensitive person. So, I hope we remain fearless and confident to accept and respond. The highest reward of it is that we will be genuine, both in our mistakes and our output.
Thank You !
