Everybody can reflect on experiences and view the past differently in the present. You have insight into yourself now that you did not have before. And yet, certain choices or behaviours may still amaze you. When have you asked, "did I really do that?" What meaningful lessons did you gain?
One man I know broke baby toes on each foot more than once. He did so as the result of making his way to the toilet in the dark. He was reluctant to admit his night vision was not dependable. Yet, when the doctor taped his toe for the third time, it was no dream. The man then opted to use a flashlight.
I recall a time in my life when I lived in the Netherlands for a summer. Before I ended up juggling seven jobs (one for each day of the week), I had a few curious job interviews based on misunderstanding newspaper ads. One waitressing job turned out to be in a bar that offered legal drugs on their exotic menu. The masseuse interview turned out to offer additional erotic massage training in the basement of a bar with leopard couches and sheepskin rugs. Although I chose not to accept these two positions, I learned that each experience is a teacher. I learned to find humor, keep composure and a straight face.
A good friend of mine was accepted to a university Master's program. His parents helped him pack up and move to a nearby city. He had lived at home during his undergrad, so this was his first home away from home. Yet, he was not away a week before he decided to abandon the program and called his parents to pick him up. He listened to his gut. This inner growth served him. Not only did he learn to listen to his heart and pursue a more fulfilling career. He also gained the confidence to come out of the closet and be truer to himself. As he learned to face his fears, he inspired greater self-acceptance in the lives of family, friends and patients. Looking back, he wonders what took him so long to be more honest.
What we used to perceive as thoughts to be disregarded, do not have to be dismissed. Some insights we gain are visceral. They change as profoundly as our subjective experiences.