About Mistakes

"If you're making mistakes, it means you're learning.  If you're making lots of mistakes, it means you're learning a lot."

There are two kinds of people who never make mistakes, the dead and the unborn.  The rest of us should strive to one day look back and consider all our mistakes as lessons, for this is what they truly are.

Everyone makes mistakes.  Accepting that fact is easier said than done.  We are all taught at an early age and reinforced through our entire life not to make mistakes.  Additionally, we are trained to react negatively when we do make a mistake.  Perfection seems to be a target of most people in their work, relationships and in life.  But there's big danger in that; perfection is not a place where we can ever be.

The bottom line is that we all make mistakes.  The key here is to understand that when we do make a mistake, there's a lesson to be learned; most, if not all mistakes, are gifts.  They offer us the opportunity to explore an area where perhaps we are deficient, need additional training or simply just need to reevaluate our approach; perhaps we were rushing.  Whatever the reason, we need to take time to explore what happened.  We can learn what we need to, to correct the situation and to put systems in place so that this mistake doesn't happen again.

I have made my share of mistakes.  So many so, that following the above mentioned statements, you would think that I am wise beyond belief.  Not so.  I started learning from my mistakes later on, sometimes after making the same mistake over and over again waiting for different results without altering the approach.  Thank goodness that one day I saw the light.  The ability to recognize this flaw comes with maturity and we all mature at different times and for different reasons.

I have accepted the fact that I am human and that at times I do things I will regret;  I may turn left when I should have turned right but I have learned to be open about my mistakes and to embrace them as opportunities to learn.  By doing this I can move forward instead of wallowing in regret and disappointment.

So, whatever happens, whenever you make a mistake or you are involved in a misunderstanding, take responsibility. There's always a lesson to be learned, no matter who was at fault.

Yes, its extremely difficult to accept that you were wrong, but it also very liberating.  It demonstrates strength, courage and a commitment to personal excellence and growth.  It is also respectful. You show that you care about yourself and others.  But if you're going to accept your own mistakes then you ought to do the same for others.  Accept theirs as you have accepted yours.

When you accept full responsibility for yourself, you also accept responsibility for making things right.  For correcting the wrong.  For fixing the mistake.  This completes the cycle.

You obviously don't want to be looking for mistakes to make, but putting yourself in situations and circumstances to try out new things will inevitably lead to making mistakes.  This is a good thing!  It's a way to learn and a way to avoid a world of complacency because of any fears of making mistakes.

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I will discuss "change" on the next post in the series "Position Yourself For Success."  Until then, I ask that you please visit this blog's facebook page and click "like".

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