"On apprend sur la vie non seulement par les plus mais aussi par les moins."

Life throws a mix of experiences our way, and it's not just the good times that shape us—it's the tough ones too. Think about it. When everything's going smoothly, it’s easy to coast along without giving things much thought. But when we hit a roadblock or face a challenge, that's when we really learn and grow.

Take the famous inventor Thomas Edison, for example. He didn’t just stumble upon the invention of the light bulb on his first try. In fact, he famously failed thousands of times before finally getting it right. Each failure taught him something new, something crucial that eventually led him to success. If he had given up after his first few attempts, we might still be living in the dark! It’s these “minuses” in life—failures, setbacks, obstacles—that push us to think differently, innovate, and ultimately make progress.

Now, let's bring this idea down to a personal level. Imagine you're trying to learn a new skill like playing the guitar. At first, your fingers hurt, the chords don’t sound right, and you can't strum in rhythm to save your life. Frustrating, right? But every mistake you make teaches you something. Maybe you learn to adjust your fingers slightly for a clearer sound or you realize you need to practice more to build up the strength in your hands. Each small failure is a stepping stone to improvement. If you only ever played perfectly, you’d never push yourself to get better.

So, what’s the takeaway here? Embrace your mistakes. Don’t shy away from the tough times. Instead, see them as opportunities to learn and grow. Next time you’re faced with a setback, pause and think about what you can learn from it. How can it make you better, stronger, or wiser? It’s not always easy—sometimes it downright sucks—but it’s worth it.

Let's paint a scenario. Picture yourself at work. You’re given a project that’s way out of your comfort zone. You mess up a presentation, and your boss isn’t happy. It feels awful, no doubt. But instead of wallowing in that feeling, use it. Ask for feedback, figure out what went wrong, and make a plan to do better next time. Maybe you realize you need to improve your public speaking skills or that you need to manage your time better. Whatever it is, take that “minus” and turn it into a “plus.”

Remember, learning isn't a straight path—it’s a winding road with ups and downs. So, when life hands you lemons, don’t just make lemonade. Squeeze out every bit of experience, learn from it, and keep moving forward. Each stumble is just a new lesson in disguise.