If you don’t look back at yourself 10 years ago and think “I was an idiot,” then you need to reevaluate your life.
Being an idiot is a big part of being alive.
Think about it. If you’re not several times (if not multitudes) smarter now than you were 10 years ago, what does that mean? That means you’re not learning. You’re not making mistakes. And more importantly, you’re not growing.
The thing about awesome people, is that they are awesome. They instinctively know when it’s time to move on.
But moving on doesn’t necessitate physical change. Physical changes can help, but the internal–mental and emotional changes–are what defines you as a person. And if those things are not in continual development then you have a problem. Even if you are content with your current state of well-being, day to day interactions, personal conflicts, experiences, and those of people close to you will slowly change and mould your perspective.
To some extent, this is completely unavoidable. Whether you want to or not, you’ll slowly morph into a new person without hardly realizing it. Many of these changes are slow and unnoticeable. Which is why it is important to occasionally look back and take a retrospective inventory of all the things you’ve learned and all the ways you’ve changed.
The goal is not to dwell on your regrets and mistakes, but to remember them and ensure that you are still not making the same ones today.
So here’s to being an idiot. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, so that in the future, you can be smart.