Learning (3)

What was one thing that you were taught incorrectly at first and had to relearn later? 

Tell us a story: broken

What went to pieces through your actions or fell apart while you were responsible for it? 

Stress (5)

Which do you worry about most: money issues, relationship conflicts, or potentially embarrassing social situations?

Better luck next time

What was something you tried recently with disappointing results?

No one wears these anymore

What was the ill-suited gift that you quickly exchanged for something better?

This week's theme is trading in.

Lost my groove

What is something that still bothers you, because you think you should have been able to do it better than you did?

All wet

Where were you when you got a whole lot wetter than you had planned on?

This week's theme is water.

Undo

If you could take the Undo button out of the computer and into everyday life, where would it be most handy? Where could you make good use of the ability to roll back your last action and do it over?

Tell us a story: I forgot to bring one thing

It can be awkward or calamitous to arrive at your destination and find that you forgot to bring the tickets to the event, or your toothbrush, or something else equally indispensable.

Tell us a story about something you accidentally left behind. Did you have to make an extra trip, buy a replacement, or try to manage without it? Or did you completely miss an opportunity because of your mistake?

The shoe doesn't fit

Well-meaning advice can be useless if it's based on overly rosy assumptions about your situation. For example: "Too busy? Learn to delegate more tasks to your staff!"

What's a less obvious but equally unhelpful piece of advice that you still try to follow, even though it completely doesn't fit your circumstances?

This week's theme is ideal circumstances.

Tell us a story: slipping out of the time stream

Have you ever lost track of the calendar and mistakenly thought it was a different day? What actions did you take, or what plans did you make, with the wrong day in mind? How long did it take for you to realize your mistake?

Tell us a story: disaster prevention

Did you once intervene just in time to stop someone from accidentally setting themselves on fire? Did you happen to catch someone's antique vase before it hit the floor? Did you stop someone from stepping out on stage with a wardrobe malfunction?

When did your alertness and quick action prevent a big mess, an expensive accident, or a major embarrassment?

Disasters and accidents stick in our memories, but it's easy to forget the just-as-important moments when you prevented an accident. These are valuable accomplishments; make sure you give yourself credit!

Tell us a story: you only hurt the ones you love

When did you hurt someone — someone who trusted you — very badly?

It's the wrong color

What is something that you bought and never used, but you won't get rid of, because then you'd have to admit you wasted your money?

This week's theme is clutter.

I know I had it when I left home!

When were you forced to painstakingly retrace your steps, because you had lost something important along the way? What did you lose? Were you able to find it again?

This week's theme is moving backwards.

Boomerang

"As you sow, so shall you reap," says one adage, and the law of karma reminds us that we must face the consequences of our actions, whether immediately or years later.

Did you ever get soaked with your own water balloon? Did your small courtesy turn out to bring a big reward? What is one example of a time when your actions were aimed at someone or something outside yourself, but ended up impacting yourself more than anyone else?

This week's theme is moving backwards.

It's a joke

In the United States, today is April Fool's Day, and the tradition is to see if you can momentarily trick someone into believing a made-up piece of news. The more outlandish the fake news, the better the joke if someone believes it.

Did you ever mistakenly take seriously a website or news story that was meant purely as a joke or parody?

This week's theme is mistakes.

Triple-checked

What is one category of mistake that you take extra pains to avoid, even though friends say you are overdoing it and shouldn't worry so much?

This week's theme is mistakes.

On second thought

What is one big mistake that you, luckily, were able to catch and correct before it was too late?

This week's theme is mistakes.

Accidentally perfect

Did you ever forget an ingredient and accidentally invent an interesting new dish? Did you show up on the wrong day and end up at a better event than the one you had planned to attend? What is one mistake you made that turned out surprisingly well?

This week's theme is mistakes.