“You have to cross the line to know where it is.”
I’ve caught myself saying this multiple times recently and it got me thinking. It’s an interesting concept. Crossing the line.
What line? I don’t see it anywhere.
Experience is an amazing thing. As we go through life, people try to educate us and tell us what is right and wrong, but in certain situations our human nature makes us not want to listen. We have to experience it ourselves before we can really understand it, and to understand it, we have to make mistakes. All we can do is keep moving forward until we’ve gone too far, until we’ve crossed the line. And that’s okay in my opinion.
In my book, The Church Next Door, I talk about an experience where I unquestionably crossed the line. I went so far deep into a religious cult I completely changed who I was, I distanced myself from family and friends, and went through constant depression and anxiety. I had no idea I was on the verge of crossing the line until I was well passed it. This horrible experience that once set me back has now made me stronger. I’m a better person because of it. I wouldn’t be who I am today if I didn’t make the mistakes I did, and I love who I am.
I embrace my past, use it to help others, and will ultimately make the world a better place.
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” –Johnny Cash
Don’t worry about the fact that you did wrong. Instead, embrace your mistakes, learn from them, and be a better you.
Think about the problems and failures you’ve had throughout your life. Have they made you a better person? If not, how can they?
