We all make mistakes. Some are less world-shaking than others, but when they affect a large amount of people, it’s hard not to take the repercussions to heart. I should know, after all.

What we do to pick ourselves up after we’ve made that mistake is key, and when I found myself in a world of hurt, I wasn’t sure where to turn. As it so happens, I didn’t have to go far. I just had to walk to my bookcase.

Invincible vs. Infallible

I do not, nor have I ever, considered myself to be invincible. I know that I make mistakes, and I’m aware of the trust people give me when they give me a portion of their wealth to invest. Before my fall, new customers would ask me if I had ever been through a crash, and my “No” response was accurate. However, this may have given some the impression that I thought I was invincible.

The problem with this (other than the obvious) is not all of my customers wanted me to be a golden idol up on a hill. Project strength, sure, but also show that I knew what falling felt like. People who have never failed arrogantly believe it’s impossible, but those who have understand what it’s like and do their best not to go back there again.

Nobody is invincible, even your heroes. This is why, when the crash hit, I went to my bookshelf for inspiration.

Enter Ray Dalio

Ray Dalio founded an investment firm named Bridgewater Associates, and he’s been a fixture in my circles for decades. He’s also written a few books, including Principles, a story told in three parts. The first is a background on Dalio and his life. The second is called “Life Principles,” and the third, “Work Principles.”

I knew of him prior to the book, but when my life took a turn, I went to Principles. That first part of his story, “Where I’m Coming From,” was what changed my perspective.

Back when he was just starting out, Dalio went through a major failure. This crash was devastating to him and his business, and for most people, this would have been when they shut everything down and moved on. I know I was having those very same thoughts.

Dalio didn’t do that. Instead, the experience became a life-defining event and was foundational to his later success. He picked himself back up, dusted off, and went back to work. I needed to do the same thing.

How You Handle Mistakes Is Everything

What Dalio and I faced were not binary decisions. We could have walked away or faced the storm head-on, yes, but there were a million other paths either of us could have taken. How you handle these situations shows what kind of person you are to the rest of the world.

For me, I found the first thing I had to do was push away all the denial. This event had happened. It was real, and there was no way to shake off this bad dream. Now was the time to accept what happened. Once I could do that, I could make decisions from there.

Then, it was time for reflection. I spent a good amount of time looking at the decisions I made and trying to see what I could have done differently. While I did eventually determine what I believed the problem was, it was just outside of my vision when everything was going on. I could beat myself up all day about whether or not I should have zigged when I zagged, but again, acceptance. I needed to move forward.

Taking the Next Steps

I decided years ago that if I were to make a mistake, I wouldn’t make it ever again. I still hold to that value today.

For me, Ray Dalio’s book was transformational on its first read and after the crash. It brought me back from the edge and very much saved my career. I’ve since reopened my business and am back in the investment world again. Now, however, I have the benefit of knowing what failure feels like, and I’ve learned enough about what happened not to make that mistake again.

It hasn’t been an easy road, but if it were, it wouldn’t be worth it. Here’s to learning from our mistakes.

Originally posted by Forbes. Check out the original posting here.