What gives you hope?

Vince | Whāingaroa

Vince reflects on personal mistakes as opportunities for growth, emphasising the importance of self-awareness, asking for help, and showing compassion toward others.

“The last mistake involves drinking. I put myself in a position where I didn’t look at the signs and I didn’t look after myself. And then I ended up misrepresenting myself just because I didn’t look at my environment.

To be honest, it’s been the biggest growth. Because if you can look at yourself and how you’ve been and you want to change, that’s where the growth is. So that’s where I’m at with that. People do make mistakes but generally people are trying to do better. And if people are really playing up or making big mistakes or messing up, they’re just hurt in some way and they’re trying to deal with something on the inside.

If we can have a little bit of compassion for these people or anyone – I’m not relating this to me but in general – it makes it easier for everyone. The best thing about it when I did reach out for help, I saw the community that was behind me and it was cool. They understood that I was going through some stuff and they stood by my side and helped me out.

I worked through it and then two weeks on, I’m feeling good, positive, ready to carry on, put in the mahi. Even though I have made the same mistakes a few times in my life, over and over again, the gaps in between them are getting bigger, if you know what I mean.

It is hard to ask for help but it’s way harder to be on your own.”