September 17, 2024 • 18 mins
In this first episode of Resilience Gone Wild, host Jessica Morgenthal takes us to the sandy shores of Singer Island, Florida, where the miraculous journey of momma sea turtles comes to life. These incredible creatures travel thousands of miles to nest on the same beaches where they were born, battling obstacles like heat, predators, and ocean currents, all while showcasing remarkable resilience.
Jessica explores the nesting process, from choosing the perfect spot to the care momma turtles take to ensure the survival of their young. With only 1 in 1000 hatchlings making it to adulthood, every decision these resilient moms make is crucial for their species' survival.
Key Lessons:
Momma sea turtles teach us resilience through their persistence and adaptability.
Mistakes are simply learning opportunities. Like the false crawls of a sea turtle, our perceived missteps can help us grow and try again with greater wisdom.
Embrace imperfection and reframe "mistakes" as intentional actions that lead to learning and self-improvement.
Top Takeaways:
No More Mistakes: Jessica shares why we should stop labeling actions as mistakes and instead embrace the learning process.
Sea Turtle Navigation: How momma turtles navigate back to the exact beach they were born on, thanks to magnetic imprinting and sensory abilities.
Conservation in Action: Sea turtles are critical to healthy marine ecosystems, but human impact threatens their survival. Jessica discusses what we can do to help protect these magnificent creatures.
Resilience Tips from the Episode:
Embrace Imperfection: Don’t strive for perfection. Learn from each experience.
Ignore the Inner Critic: Don’t fear failure—trust your instincts, and don’t let the fear of "making a mistake" hold you back.
Practice Mindfulness: Focus on what you’re sensing and feeling without judgment during moments of difficulty.
How to Help Sea Turtles:
Support conservation organizations like Loggerhead Marinelife Center.
Advocate for stronger marine protection policies.
Reduce your carbon footprint and plastic use.
Resources Mentioned:
Loggerhead Marinelife Center (for volunteering and donations) https://marinelife.org/
Sea Turtles: Species of the World and Their Status
Climate change impacting female/male ratio and more:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/26/climate/florida-green-sea-turtles-nesting-female.html
https://apnews.com/article/sea-turtle-record-nests-climate-change-5fd22efaef51eaf25b2ddbec224b84ac
Juno Beach is densest nesting location in Western Hemisphere
Navigating back to where they were born
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/150115-loggerheads-sea-turtles-navigation-magnetic-field-science?loggedin=true&rnd=1726505613283
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/13/science/sea-turtles-magnetic-field.html
WWF Work with Sea Turtles and lots of info on each species:
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/sea-turtle (ALL)
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/green-turtle (GREEN)
Enjoying the show? Rate and review Resilience Gone Wild on your favorite podcast platform! By doing so, you not only help other listeners discover these inspiring stories of resilience, but you also get a chance to win a special shoutout on the show!
Join us for the next episode of Resilience Gone Wild where we chat with Andy Dehart, CEO of Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Tune in to hear about Andy’s impressive career in conservation as well as his takes on what we can learn from not only sea turtles – but sharks as well.
When nature wins, we win. Subscribe to "Resilience Gone Wild" wherever you listen to podcasts, and let's grow stronger together: https://pod.link/J4yd77
Produced by BLI Studios in partnership with a WinWinWin Mindset
Connect with the host Jessica via email: jessica@winwinwinmindset.com
Or on the web: winwinwinmindset.com
Connect with producer Kai via e
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:06):
Labeling an action as a mistake can lead
to feelings of failure impacting your self esteem
and confidence, which stifles your creativity
and willingness to try new things,
experiment,
and take risks.
Welcome to resilience gone wild, where we dive
(00:28):
into the incredible stories of nature's adaptation and
survival
and discover what animals and plants can teach
us about resilience
and building our win win win mindset.
I'm your host, Jessica Morgenthal,
a resilience and positive psychology
trainer,
teacher, author, speaker, coach, and consultant.
(00:48):
And today we're talking about the incredible resilience
of mama sea turtles.
It's about 9:30 AM, July 5th,
on a serene sun drenched sandy beach.
(01:09):
The surf is lapping at the shell strewn
shore.
Seagulls,
sandpipers, and ghost crabs
are grazing on hidden morsels.
By now, the sun has been up for
a few hours, and it's easy to see
the many fresh tracks formed by mama sea
turtles who built their nests there last night,
and also the many tracks from false crawls
(01:31):
created when mamas hauled themselves out of the
ocean in search of ideal spots for their
precious offspring,
but felt something wasn't quite right.
And still heavy with eggs, they headed back
into the sea without nesting
to look elsewhere.
We're on Singer Island, Florida, just a few
miles south of Juno Beach, the densest sea
(01:53):
turtle nesting area in the western hemisphere.
2nd in the world only to Oman in
the Middle East.
The globally endangered sea turtle population is thriving
here.
Credit must be given to the extensive conservation
and protective measures implemented
beginning in the 19 seventies when all 7
(02:13):
sea turtle species were found to be gravely
endangered.
Last year, mama sea turtles built a record
25,000
plus nests
in the Juno Beach area alone, and
millions of adorable little hatchlings crawled back into
the sea.
(02:34):
Look, there's still coming out right now.
You see that one? He's pushing his head.
I live much of the year in Singer
Island.
My neighbor, Lynn, had just sent me a
video on that July morning of a deeply
determined mama loggerhead turtle
rising out of the surf,
hauling her body up the sand, and heading
up the beach to nest.
(02:55):
Lynn's accompanying text humorously noted
that someone didn't get the memo, that nesting
is a nighttime activity.
Maybe this little mama didn't know any better.
Maybe she was skittish after noise and lights
from the nearby July 4th fireworks the night
before.
Maybe she'd just been checking out different beach
spots all night long, making several attempts at
(03:16):
nesting,
and was still trying to find one that
was good enough. We'll never know her why,
but we do know for sure that she
was doing the best she could in that
moment.
Witnessing this ancient ritual
repeated countless times since the age of the
(03:37):
dinosaurs,
a 150000000
years ago,
is a truly awe inspiring experience.
These remarkable creatures often travel 1,000 of miles
from their winter feeding grounds to return in
the spring and summer to the very beaches
where they were born. Adult sea turtles are
miraculously
able to navigate back to their birthplace
(03:58):
after at least 25 years at sea
using a combination of environmental cues and sensory
abilities.
As hatchlings emerge from their nests
and head towards the surf, they go through
a process known as magnetic imprinting.
They are believed to have specialized cells containing
magnetite,
a magnetic mineral,
(04:19):
in their brains that work like a permanent
GPS system.
Look at this. They know where to go.
See?
Oh, this is cool. I can't believe we
got to see it.
The adult males often make the extraordinary journey
back home as well,
never leaving the sea, but courting the ladies
offshore to meet.
(04:40):
Nesting is a monumental effort for mama sea
turtles.
Though they glide effortlessly
through the water, dragging their heavy bodies out
of the ocean,
across the sandy shore,
and up the dunes or seawall is an
exhausting ordeal.
Just imagine the labor required for a 1400
pound leatherback turtle,
(05:01):
the size of a Volkswagen,
to complete this feed hundreds of times in
her likely 60 plus year lifetime.
Loggerhead and green sea turtles, the primary nesters
on our local beaches,
may average only £300
or so, but it's a herculean task for
them too,
and they can live and continue to nest
(05:21):
into their eighties.
When it's time to nest, these resilient mamas
produce clutches of about 80 to a 120
eggs. Typically emerging at night when it's cooler
and darker,
the sea turtle mama crawls out on the
surf, guided by instinctual
knowledge and skill.
She chooses what feels like the optimal time
and place
(05:42):
to ensure her eggs have the best chance
of survival.
With only about 1 in a 1000 hatchlings
making it to adulthood,
she has to give them the best possible
start.
Seeking a location that feels right, she is
always on the lookout for signs of danger
to her and her offspring.
Using all of her senses, she'll be sure
that the time and place is suited for
(06:04):
her hour plus visit.
She uses her flippers to check out the
sand consistency,
dampness, and temperature.
Her nest needs to conceal the eggs from
predators,
maintain the right level of moisture so the
eggs don't dry out or drown,
be located above the tide line where the
eggs are safe from erosion and extreme weather,
(06:24):
enable enough air circulation to provide oxygen to
permeate the eggs, and be placed where the
hatchlings can dig out and reach the ocean
efficiently.
And the nest must also insulate from extreme
temperatures as the sex ratio of the hatchlings
is determined by this crucial factor weeks after
the eggs are laid.
Hotter temperatures lead to more females.
(06:46):
It's easy to remember the formula with the
cute saying, hot chicks and cool dudes.
Unfortunately,
rising temperatures have led to an overabundance
of female hatchlings in recent years.
To compensate,
there are some signs that the turtles are
arriving earlier in the season.
It's amazing to witness nature's resilient adaptations
(07:07):
to challenges driven by us human.
So once mama has decided that she's found
a suitable spot, she will dig a shallow
body pit by rotating around and using her
flippers to move sand away. Then she uses
her rear flippers to dig a flask
shaped egg chamber, the length of her flipper,
(07:28):
usually about 12 to 18 inches deep. She
scoops out the sand carefully,
building her precisely constructed chamber.
Mama then goes into a trance as her
contractions start, and she drops those 100 or
so ping pong ball looking eggs into the
chamber
2 to 3 at a time.
When she's done, she wakes up from her
(07:49):
trance and uses her flippers to push sand
back into the egg chamber,
compacting it to gently protect her eggs.
She spends another 15 to 30 minutes or
longer,
throwing sand over the nesting site with her
front flippers to camouflage it, disguising it from
predators.
Only then does she make her way back
to the ocean.
(08:14):
It's heart wrenching to observe her clear exhaustion,
yet heartwarming to see the care and love
that goes into every moment of her nesting.
It is truly joyful
to watch her enter the ocean knowing that
she'll have a little time to rest and
recover.
Remarkably, each mama turtle goes through this entire
process about every 2 weeks,
(08:36):
laying an average of 4 to 7 clutches
of eggs during a single nesting season.
And all during that, she fasts.
She builds up her reserves before nesting season
so she can focus solely on reproductive activities
without needing to waste precious resources searching for
food.
No wonder she takes a year or 2
off between nesting seasons to fully replenish her
(08:58):
energy.
Mama sea turtles, like our friend who came
up on the beach to nest that July
morning,
exhaust a vast quantity of precious energy when
they false crawl or nest at more challenging
times of the day,
But they surely don't see them as mistakes.
It's all part of their learning process that
enables them to nest more efficiently and effectively
(09:19):
with experience,
giving their offspring and their whole species a
better chance of survival. And that brings us
to our resilience topic of the day,
mistakes,
and how you can never make a mistake
again.
After I learned this important lesson, I have
never made another mistake.
Does this not making a mistake thing matter?
(09:42):
Labeling an action as a mistake can lead
to feelings of failure or inadequacy,
impacting your self esteem and confidence.
It can create fear of making mistakes,
which stifles your creativity and willingness to try
new things,
experiment,
and take risks.
Emphasizing mistakes can overshadow learning opportunities,
(10:02):
blocking growth and improvement.
Consistently pointing out mistakes can create a blame
culture within families,
groups, and teams,
what's known as a lack of psychological
safety,
leading to a scarcity of trust and collaboration.
Highlighting mistakes without recognizing efforts or achievements
can damage morale and motivation.
(10:25):
Some choices we call out as mistakes are
actually steps towards discovery.
They're a positive part of the process.
And my favorite,
it's never all bad.
There are always silver linings to anything labeled
a mistake.
Calling it a mistake automatically judges the result
as negative.
Seek the positive instead.
(10:47):
So let's go back to the basic definition.
Making a mistake involves performing an action, making
a decision, or forming a judgment that is
incorrect,
misguided, or not intended.
The key here is to focus on the
intentionality
of the making part.
Really, you can't actually make a mistake
because in the moment you acted,
(11:09):
you thought it was the right thing to
do, and you did the best you could
with the resources you had.
You can only choose to call it a
mistake
after.
Stop and think about that.
You did the best you could
with the resources you had.
You can only choose to call it a
mistake after.
(11:30):
You can surely still be bummed about the
outcome,
but you need to own the decision and
action. It was intentional and the best you
could do in the moment.
Okay. So let's explore this. I can feel
your skepticism.
Bring to mind a recent time when you
thought and even said out loud that you
made a mistake.
Did you do the best you could in
(11:50):
that moment,
given your state of energy and distraction,
skills and experience,
ability to understand the situation and options,
information,
history,
the stories in your head,
your fears and other negative emotions,
your level of confidence.
Here's a simple example.
I didn't charge my phone last night.
(12:12):
I have 4 choices.
1st, I can say I made a mistake
and blame myself for being an idiot or
shame myself for getting old and senile or
whatever other negative energy I want to lay
on myself. I've now cluttered my brain with
negative thoughts about myself,
which will block me from learning from the
experience and doing better next time. Second option,
I can blame someone else.
(12:36):
Now that's something we typically do too often
to deflect feeling lousy about ourselves.
Okay. Now I have a negative thoughts about
someone else bouncing around my head. And if
I voice that blame, I've damaged someone else's
day too
and likely damaged the trust, respect, and joy
in our relationship.
3rd option, I can just move past it
(12:57):
by ignoring it and deal with the short
term resulting challenges of my uncharged phone.
But if I don't process what happened, it
will likely happen again.
I have learned nothing to prevent the bad
outcome in the future.
Or ding ding ding option 4,
accept that I did the best I could
in the moment,
deal with the immediate results, and explore what
(13:19):
I can learn from the experience,
figure out what I can change so I
can do better next time,
and look for silver linings. These 5 steps
are your key to modifying your behavior. So
you can make the shift from mistake to
teachable moment. Just like how the sea turtle
will false crawl back into the ocean to
reenergize in order to try again.
(13:39):
We too can tap into our inner sea
turtle.
What mistake is coming to mind for you?
Did you do the best you could at
that decision point? How can you apply this
no such thing as a mistake concept
to make a better choice next time?
Call it what you want, a mistake,
error,
misjudgment,
or goof. It's all the same. You did
(14:01):
it intentionally.
Own it, learn from it, and work on
not doing it again.
So next time you think you or someone
else has made a mistake,
picture the mama sea turtle on the beach
and tap into her growth and learning mindset,
resilience, and strength.
Here are a few ways you can practice
(14:22):
resilience in the face of a teachable
moment.
Embrace imperfection.
Remind yourself that you don't need to look
perfect,
be perfect, or act perfect.
Perfectionism can hold you back from what you
want to accomplish in life.
Keep in mind that perfection is the enemy
of good.
(14:42):
Ignore your inner critic.
Stop worrying about what others think.
Approach each day without fear of making a
mistake and trust your instincts.
Practice mindfulness.
At difficult decision points, focus on being intensely
aware of what you're sensing and feeling in
the moment
without interpretation or judgment. And let's not forget
why sea turtles matter to our world and
(15:03):
how much they need our help.
All sea turtles contribute to maintaining healthy marine
ecosystems,
including coral reefs and seagrass beds.
They play a crucial role in food webs
as both predator and prey, and their nesting
activities bring nutrition and stability to coastal dunes
and beaches.
They symbolize longevity,
(15:25):
wisdom, and resilience in many cultures
for a reason.
All 7 sea turtle species are vulnerable
and some are critically endangered.
Here are a few ways you can start
helping sea turtles today.
Donate and volunteer.
Support organizations that focus on sea turtle protection
and ocean conservation
like Loggerhead Marine Life Center and many others.
(15:47):
Advocate.
Push for policies and regulations that protect marine
life and ecosystems.
Educate yourself. Visit aquariums and sea turtle hospitals
to connect with and learn more about these
incredible creatures up close.
Reduce your carbon footprint,
make sustainable choices about transportation,
energy use, and what you eat.
Use less plastic and dispose of it carefully
(16:09):
so we can do better at keeping it
out of the oceans.
Share knowledge,
educate others by sharing this podcast and spreading
awareness about sea turtle conservation.
If you're on your phone, share this episode
with someone who would really enjoy it. Just
look for the share button and send via
text.
Remember, like the resilient mama sea turtle, we
can all navigate life's challenges with strength and
(16:32):
perseverance.
Thank you for listening to resilience gone wild
where we dive into the incredible stories of
nature's adaptation and survival
and discover what animals and plants can teach
us about resilience in building our win win
win mindset. If you've been enjoying our deep
dives into the wild world of animal resilience,
(16:54):
we've got a little favor to ask. Just
like all 7 species of sea turtle keep
our coral reefs and seagrass beds, you can
help our podcast thrive. Here's how. Rate and
review us on your favorite podcast platform. Your
feedback not only helps us improve, but also
helps other listeners discover these amazing stories of
resilience.
Just like the sea turtle relies on magnetite
to point them in the right direction, you
(17:16):
too can point a friend, loved one, or
fellow nature enthusiasts in the direction of this
podcast. Plus every month, we'll pick a lucky
reviewer to receive a special shout out on
the show and a chance to ask a
question to one of our expert guests. So
tap those stars, write a review, and help
us keep the spirit of resilience
alive and well. And be sure to check
out the show notes where there's lots of
(17:38):
resilience activities,
tons of photos,
videos, and info on our beloved resilient sea
turtles and how you can make a difference.
I hope you post a comment,
subscribe to my newsletter,
and drop me an email. Maybe we'll read
it on the show. It would be so
much fun to connect.
So long for now.
(18:22):
This has been a production of BLI Studios
produced by me, Kai. Follow along with our
other BLI produced shows at balancinglifesissues.com/podcastdashbli.
Got an idea for the show? Email me,
Kai, at balancinglifesissues.com.
And don't forget to stay in touch with
your host, Jessica, atjessica@winwinwinmindset.com.
(18:43):
Anything else to add, Miles?
Labeling an action as a mistake can lead
to feelings of failure impacting your self esteem
and confidence, which stifles your creativity
and willingness to try new things,
experiment,
and take risks.
Welcome to resilience gone wild, where we dive
(00:28):
into the incredible stories of nature's adaptation and
survival
and discover what animals and plants can teach
us about resilience
and building our win win win mindset.
I'm your host, Jessica Morgenthal,
a resilience and positive psychology
trainer,
teacher, author, speaker, coach, and consultant.
(00:48):
And today we're talking about the incredible resilience
of mama sea turtles.
It's about 9:30 AM, July 5th,
on a serene sun drenched sandy beach.
(01:09):
The surf is lapping at the shell strewn
shore.
Seagulls,
sandpipers, and ghost crabs
are grazing on hidden morsels.
By now, the sun has been up for
a few hours, and it's easy to see
the many fresh tracks formed by mama sea
turtles who built their nests there last night,
and also the many tracks from false crawls
(01:31):
created when mamas hauled themselves out of the
ocean in search of ideal spots for their
precious offspring,
but felt something wasn't quite right.
And still heavy with eggs, they headed back
into the sea without nesting
to look elsewhere.
We're on Singer Island, Florida, just a few
miles south of Juno Beach, the densest sea
(01:53):
turtle nesting area in the western hemisphere.
2nd in the world only to Oman in
the Middle East.
The globally endangered sea turtle population is thriving
here.
Credit must be given to the extensive conservation
and protective measures implemented
beginning in the 19 seventies when all 7
(02:13):
sea turtle species were found to be gravely
endangered.
Last year, mama sea turtles built a record
25,000
plus nests
in the Juno Beach area alone, and
millions of adorable little hatchlings crawled back into
the sea.
(02:34):
Look, there's still coming out right now.
You see that one? He's pushing his head.
I live much of the year in Singer
Island.
My neighbor, Lynn, had just sent me a
video on that July morning of a deeply
determined mama loggerhead turtle
rising out of the surf,
hauling her body up the sand, and heading
up the beach to nest.
(02:55):
Lynn's accompanying text humorously noted
that someone didn't get the memo, that nesting
is a nighttime activity.
Maybe this little mama didn't know any better.
Maybe she was skittish after noise and lights
from the nearby July 4th fireworks the night
before.
Maybe she'd just been checking out different beach
spots all night long, making several attempts at
(03:16):
nesting,
and was still trying to find one that
was good enough. We'll never know her why,
but we do know for sure that she
was doing the best she could in that
moment.
Witnessing this ancient ritual
repeated countless times since the age of the
(03:37):
dinosaurs,
a 150000000
years ago,
is a truly awe inspiring experience.
These remarkable creatures often travel 1,000 of miles
from their winter feeding grounds to return in
the spring and summer to the very beaches
where they were born. Adult sea turtles are
miraculously
able to navigate back to their birthplace
(03:58):
after at least 25 years at sea
using a combination of environmental cues and sensory
abilities.
As hatchlings emerge from their nests
and head towards the surf, they go through
a process known as magnetic imprinting.
They are believed to have specialized cells containing
magnetite,
a magnetic mineral,
(04:19):
in their brains that work like a permanent
GPS system.
Look at this. They know where to go.
See?
Oh, this is cool. I can't believe we
got to see it.
The adult males often make the extraordinary journey
back home as well,
never leaving the sea, but courting the ladies
offshore to meet.
(04:40):
Nesting is a monumental effort for mama sea
turtles.
Though they glide effortlessly
through the water, dragging their heavy bodies out
of the ocean,
across the sandy shore,
and up the dunes or seawall is an
exhausting ordeal.
Just imagine the labor required for a 1400
pound leatherback turtle,
(05:01):
the size of a Volkswagen,
to complete this feed hundreds of times in
her likely 60 plus year lifetime.
Loggerhead and green sea turtles, the primary nesters
on our local beaches,
may average only £300
or so, but it's a herculean task for
them too,
and they can live and continue to nest
(05:21):
into their eighties.
When it's time to nest, these resilient mamas
produce clutches of about 80 to a 120
eggs. Typically emerging at night when it's cooler
and darker,
the sea turtle mama crawls out on the
surf, guided by instinctual
knowledge and skill.
She chooses what feels like the optimal time
and place
(05:42):
to ensure her eggs have the best chance
of survival.
With only about 1 in a 1000 hatchlings
making it to adulthood,
she has to give them the best possible
start.
Seeking a location that feels right, she is
always on the lookout for signs of danger
to her and her offspring.
Using all of her senses, she'll be sure
that the time and place is suited for
(06:04):
her hour plus visit.
She uses her flippers to check out the
sand consistency,
dampness, and temperature.
Her nest needs to conceal the eggs from
predators,
maintain the right level of moisture so the
eggs don't dry out or drown,
be located above the tide line where the
eggs are safe from erosion and extreme weather,
(06:24):
enable enough air circulation to provide oxygen to
permeate the eggs, and be placed where the
hatchlings can dig out and reach the ocean
efficiently.
And the nest must also insulate from extreme
temperatures as the sex ratio of the hatchlings
is determined by this crucial factor weeks after
the eggs are laid.
Hotter temperatures lead to more females.
(06:46):
It's easy to remember the formula with the
cute saying, hot chicks and cool dudes.
Unfortunately,
rising temperatures have led to an overabundance
of female hatchlings in recent years.
To compensate,
there are some signs that the turtles are
arriving earlier in the season.
It's amazing to witness nature's resilient adaptations
(07:07):
to challenges driven by us human.
So once mama has decided that she's found
a suitable spot, she will dig a shallow
body pit by rotating around and using her
flippers to move sand away. Then she uses
her rear flippers to dig a flask
shaped egg chamber, the length of her flipper,
(07:28):
usually about 12 to 18 inches deep. She
scoops out the sand carefully,
building her precisely constructed chamber.
Mama then goes into a trance as her
contractions start, and she drops those 100 or
so ping pong ball looking eggs into the
chamber
2 to 3 at a time.
When she's done, she wakes up from her
(07:49):
trance and uses her flippers to push sand
back into the egg chamber,
compacting it to gently protect her eggs.
She spends another 15 to 30 minutes or
longer,
throwing sand over the nesting site with her
front flippers to camouflage it, disguising it from
predators.
Only then does she make her way back
to the ocean.
(08:14):
It's heart wrenching to observe her clear exhaustion,
yet heartwarming to see the care and love
that goes into every moment of her nesting.
It is truly joyful
to watch her enter the ocean knowing that
she'll have a little time to rest and
recover.
Remarkably, each mama turtle goes through this entire
process about every 2 weeks,
(08:36):
laying an average of 4 to 7 clutches
of eggs during a single nesting season.
And all during that, she fasts.
She builds up her reserves before nesting season
so she can focus solely on reproductive activities
without needing to waste precious resources searching for
food.
No wonder she takes a year or 2
off between nesting seasons to fully replenish her
(08:58):
energy.
Mama sea turtles, like our friend who came
up on the beach to nest that July
morning,
exhaust a vast quantity of precious energy when
they false crawl or nest at more challenging
times of the day,
But they surely don't see them as mistakes.
It's all part of their learning process that
enables them to nest more efficiently and effectively
(09:19):
with experience,
giving their offspring and their whole species a
better chance of survival. And that brings us
to our resilience topic of the day,
mistakes,
and how you can never make a mistake
again.
After I learned this important lesson, I have
never made another mistake.
Does this not making a mistake thing matter?
(09:42):
Labeling an action as a mistake can lead
to feelings of failure or inadequacy,
impacting your self esteem and confidence.
It can create fear of making mistakes,
which stifles your creativity and willingness to try
new things,
experiment,
and take risks.
Emphasizing mistakes can overshadow learning opportunities,
(10:02):
blocking growth and improvement.
Consistently pointing out mistakes can create a blame
culture within families,
groups, and teams,
what's known as a lack of psychological
safety,
leading to a scarcity of trust and collaboration.
Highlighting mistakes without recognizing efforts or achievements
can damage morale and motivation.
(10:25):
Some choices we call out as mistakes are
actually steps towards discovery.
They're a positive part of the process.
And my favorite,
it's never all bad.
There are always silver linings to anything labeled
a mistake.
Calling it a mistake automatically judges the result
as negative.
Seek the positive instead.
(10:47):
So let's go back to the basic definition.
Making a mistake involves performing an action, making
a decision, or forming a judgment that is
incorrect,
misguided, or not intended.
The key here is to focus on the
intentionality
of the making part.
Really, you can't actually make a mistake
because in the moment you acted,
(11:09):
you thought it was the right thing to
do, and you did the best you could
with the resources you had.
You can only choose to call it a
mistake
after.
Stop and think about that.
You did the best you could
with the resources you had.
You can only choose to call it a
mistake after.
(11:30):
You can surely still be bummed about the
outcome,
but you need to own the decision and
action. It was intentional and the best you
could do in the moment.
Okay. So let's explore this. I can feel
your skepticism.
Bring to mind a recent time when you
thought and even said out loud that you
made a mistake.
Did you do the best you could in
(11:50):
that moment,
given your state of energy and distraction,
skills and experience,
ability to understand the situation and options,
information,
history,
the stories in your head,
your fears and other negative emotions,
your level of confidence.
Here's a simple example.
I didn't charge my phone last night.
(12:12):
I have 4 choices.
1st, I can say I made a mistake
and blame myself for being an idiot or
shame myself for getting old and senile or
whatever other negative energy I want to lay
on myself. I've now cluttered my brain with
negative thoughts about myself,
which will block me from learning from the
experience and doing better next time. Second option,
I can blame someone else.
(12:36):
Now that's something we typically do too often
to deflect feeling lousy about ourselves.
Okay. Now I have a negative thoughts about
someone else bouncing around my head. And if
I voice that blame, I've damaged someone else's
day too
and likely damaged the trust, respect, and joy
in our relationship.
3rd option, I can just move past it
(12:57):
by ignoring it and deal with the short
term resulting challenges of my uncharged phone.
But if I don't process what happened, it
will likely happen again.
I have learned nothing to prevent the bad
outcome in the future.
Or ding ding ding option 4,
accept that I did the best I could
in the moment,
deal with the immediate results, and explore what
(13:19):
I can learn from the experience,
figure out what I can change so I
can do better next time,
and look for silver linings. These 5 steps
are your key to modifying your behavior. So
you can make the shift from mistake to
teachable moment. Just like how the sea turtle
will false crawl back into the ocean to
reenergize in order to try again.
(13:39):
We too can tap into our inner sea
turtle.
What mistake is coming to mind for you?
Did you do the best you could at
that decision point? How can you apply this
no such thing as a mistake concept
to make a better choice next time?
Call it what you want, a mistake,
error,
misjudgment,
or goof. It's all the same. You did
(14:01):
it intentionally.
Own it, learn from it, and work on
not doing it again.
So next time you think you or someone
else has made a mistake,
picture the mama sea turtle on the beach
and tap into her growth and learning mindset,
resilience, and strength.
Here are a few ways you can practice
(14:22):
resilience in the face of a teachable
moment.
Embrace imperfection.
Remind yourself that you don't need to look
perfect,
be perfect, or act perfect.
Perfectionism can hold you back from what you
want to accomplish in life.
Keep in mind that perfection is the enemy
of good.
(14:42):
Ignore your inner critic.
Stop worrying about what others think.
Approach each day without fear of making a
mistake and trust your instincts.
Practice mindfulness.
At difficult decision points, focus on being intensely
aware of what you're sensing and feeling in
the moment
without interpretation or judgment. And let's not forget
why sea turtles matter to our world and
(15:03):
how much they need our help.
All sea turtles contribute to maintaining healthy marine
ecosystems,
including coral reefs and seagrass beds.
They play a crucial role in food webs
as both predator and prey, and their nesting
activities bring nutrition and stability to coastal dunes
and beaches.
They symbolize longevity,
(15:25):
wisdom, and resilience in many cultures
for a reason.
All 7 sea turtle species are vulnerable
and some are critically endangered.
Here are a few ways you can start
helping sea turtles today.
Donate and volunteer.
Support organizations that focus on sea turtle protection
and ocean conservation
like Loggerhead Marine Life Center and many others.
(15:47):
Advocate.
Push for policies and regulations that protect marine
life and ecosystems.
Educate yourself. Visit aquariums and sea turtle hospitals
to connect with and learn more about these
incredible creatures up close.
Reduce your carbon footprint,
make sustainable choices about transportation,
energy use, and what you eat.
Use less plastic and dispose of it carefully
(16:09):
so we can do better at keeping it
out of the oceans.
Share knowledge,
educate others by sharing this podcast and spreading
awareness about sea turtle conservation.
If you're on your phone, share this episode
with someone who would really enjoy it. Just
look for the share button and send via
text.
Remember, like the resilient mama sea turtle, we
can all navigate life's challenges with strength and
(16:32):
perseverance.
Thank you for listening to resilience gone wild
where we dive into the incredible stories of
nature's adaptation and survival
and discover what animals and plants can teach
us about resilience in building our win win
win mindset. If you've been enjoying our deep
dives into the wild world of animal resilience,
(16:54):
we've got a little favor to ask. Just
like all 7 species of sea turtle keep
our coral reefs and seagrass beds, you can
help our podcast thrive. Here's how. Rate and
review us on your favorite podcast platform. Your
feedback not only helps us improve, but also
helps other listeners discover these amazing stories of
resilience.
Just like the sea turtle relies on magnetite
to point them in the right direction, you
(17:16):
too can point a friend, loved one, or
fellow nature enthusiasts in the direction of this
podcast. Plus every month, we'll pick a lucky
reviewer to receive a special shout out on
the show and a chance to ask a
question to one of our expert guests. So
tap those stars, write a review, and help
us keep the spirit of resilience
alive and well. And be sure to check
out the show notes where there's lots of
(17:38):
resilience activities,
tons of photos,
videos, and info on our beloved resilient sea
turtles and how you can make a difference.
I hope you post a comment,
subscribe to my newsletter,
and drop me an email. Maybe we'll read
it on the show. It would be so
much fun to connect.
So long for now.
(18:22):
This has been a production of BLI Studios
produced by me, Kai. Follow along with our
other BLI produced shows at balancinglifesissues.com/podcastdashbli.
Got an idea for the show? Email me,
Kai, at balancinglifesissues.com.
And don't forget to stay in touch with
your host, Jessica, atjessica@winwinwinmindset.com.
(18:43):
Anything else to add, Miles?
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