Life does not have instructions to follow, however, it presents to us some minor moments, yet meaningful, on which we learn something important. These Tidbits of Experience could be called puzzle pieces – they are little pieces of us that with time add up to greater complexion of our selves. They need not be life-changing and spectacular. In fact, the majority of them are not direct, and they can not be noticed right away. However, these Tidbits of Experience unconsciously carry some weight in shaping our ideologies and principles, as well as how we conduct ourselves with the world.
The nuggets of experience may be found in small things: a conversation with a stranger, an error made at work, a walk in the afternoon or a memory in childhood as well. We do not seem to see exactly why they are important at the moment, but they tend to remain with us longer than the major events that could be seen with the naked eye. It is being seen in these moments, where I, more times than not, choose to think imperceptibly, the moments when character, emotional intelligence and endurance is being developed through the small things.
Moment Power
There is always the expectation that life milestones such as graduations, weddings and promotions at work result into personal growth. But in the vast majority of instances it happens in the routine. These are the Tidbits of Experience,–those short every-day things which we can so easily pass over, and yet which have so much to teach us. In one instance, to be more specific, you cannot be taught any of the following: patience in the case of a workshop or seminar, but when you are on a long queue at the grocer or forced to endure a temper tantrum of a toddler. And these little things that we do not pay too much attention always teach us the patience or empathy or give us the gratitude without even noticing so.
All these minor things add up. The act of kindness done by one of your co-workers can trigger you to treat people kindly. A failure would burn at the time but in the future it would guide you on when making your decisions. Consider these morsels as seasoning to a recipe. Individually, they may not appear a lot, but will together give the whole taste of your life.
Learning as a result of errors and failure
Failure is one of the most fruitful kinds of experience. We all hate losing, so call me a pessimist, but failures are sometimes the greatest things which happen to us in life. It could be losing a relationship, taking a wrong career decision, or simply burning dinner again on a Thursday, at the third time that week: pitfalls will make us step back and assess.
It is taken out of context when you are smack-dab in the midst of a setback and can hardly find any value. However, these times tend to make us learn how to be resilient, solving problems, and humility. Every mistake builds an additional piece of our own knowledge or in this case tidbit. And the greatest thing is, that, when the Lord comes back, every soul shall know,–oh, everybody! Such lessons are apt to become lasting. The probability of making the same mistake is much low when one remembers the pain of making the original mistake.
Role of Relationships in Life Lessons
However much you may be independent you need people as they are critical in how your life unfolds. On all these family members, friends, mentors, even strangers we learn some things through interactions. Perhaps you have the best friend who taught you how to stand up your own self. Or a difficult boss made you find your strength on the inside. They are life lessons, some of them are painfully acquired, but they are the most essential parts of your own puzzle.
There is a sense in which even the casual conversations could not be forgotten. Did you ever have a chance to chat with a stranger on a flight or at a cafe and just keep thinking about it all the following days? One bit of experience, that was a surprise, however, not to be forgotten. It makes us remember that each of us that we encounter knows something that we do not and one of the best habits that we can adopt is to approach persons and learn everything that we can from them.
The Formation of Childhood Experiences
During childhood, we tend to get our first Tidbits of Experience. The environment we grow up in, the way we are raised and the people around us, they are all the basis of how we perceive the world once it is established. Some of these childhood memories are rather permanent, and they shape our approach to relationships, stress, and achievement throughout the whole life.
Naturally, not everything that a child learns in childhood is positive. There are other times when we have beliefs that restrain us, beliefs that we had developed through our experiences which we did not comprehend fully back then. It is important to realize the early influences to be able to move on beyond them. The news is? As adults, we are able to repackage the experiences and even the bad experiences can be used as a growth mechanism.
Bites of travelling and adventure
Travelling is an orchard of Tidbits of Experience. The moment you leave your comfort zone and get dragged in another cultural or environmental situation, all moments are a lesson. Be it using the local mass transport system in an alien nation or trying local cuisine, travelling conditions one to be flexible in nature, inquisitive, and tolerant of difference.
Even in you are not jet-setting around the world, heading somewhere new, whether it is a local town or a local museum, can give you a new point of view. Such experiences tend to make you creative and learn more about yourself and the world. And sometimes even the less important things can be what is making your trip special: a chat with a local, a stunning sunset and may be even getting lost.
Work and Career: Office Lessons Day to Day
The truth of the matter is that our career consumes a big portion of our lives. This implies that we are surrounded by learning opportunities in our work places. Handling rough feedback, managing time or working in a team, everyday at workplace gives us experiences that can make us develop as a professional and as an individual.
We can learn even in syllabus activities. Monotonous job like repetition may appear boring, but can help you learn discipline and efficiency. Even a modest leadership experience will have the effect of putting you on the path of finding your potential. And then there is the lessons that we take home when we fail at work or at any place– it hurts, but it drives us to work more.
Value of Reflection
Reflecting upon our experiences is one of the most significant things that we can do with our experiences. Unless there is reflection, the tidbits just remain there. We only develop when we see in hindsight and reflect what had taken place, why it took place and what we can draw out of this experience.
Journaling, meditating or merely thinking of your day by quietly enjoying a cup of tea will help you tie the loose ends. You start behaving repeatedly, know your triggers and realize your progress. Reflective minds transform the ordinary experiences into life-altering experiences and yet you do not have to spend too much time. One or two minutes of knowing how to think can make an ordinary day to be a teaching process.
The institutional side of tidbits How to Collect How to Use Your Own Tidbits
The first step should be more attentiveness. Make mental notes when an issue makes you hesitate, laugh or get emotional. The question to ask would be: What can I learn out of this? It is not required to write everything down, although a journal can be a good method of recording significant events or even an entry in the phone.
In addition, tell your stories. Discussing what you have learned will not only strengthen what you have learned but it will also enable others to learn too. It can be so potent whether by writing, talking or even through mentoring a person, to share those bits of experience.
Summary
Life is not so much of great successes or huge tragedies: life lies within the ability to balance the small things. It would seem they will shew us that these Tidbits of Experience, those little and apparently indifferent things, are of more importance than we commonly imagine. They demonstrate how to love, how to be defeated and how to stand up as well as to become the better versions of ourselves.
Then next time a little thing occurs, a nice word, a little error, a surprise, wait a second. Just that may be the next little-bitty morsel of experience that throws the whole thing into a different gear.
