“If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.”
What this quote means
With humor and lucidity, Bette Midler offers an alternative: if you can't be a good example, at least be a horrible warning. This flips the pressure of always having to be perfect. It suggests that our mistakes and flaws can also have educational value, for ourselves and others. It's an invitation to humility and authenticity: rather than pretending to an impossible perfection, embrace your weaknesses and learn from them.
How to apply it daily
Choose a past mistake and write down what it taught you. Share this lesson with someone who might benefit, without judging yourself.
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