So you made a mistake
By Joanie
@Freelanzer (10743)
Canada
October 8, 2015 9:27pm CST
So you made a mistake - its not the end of the world? For many years I was very tough on myself for making any mistakes. Whether at work or elsewhere I always felt so bad when I made a mistake. It was as if I was working toward a prize and one day I would get a trophy that said, "perfect'. Of course we know that while we strive for perfection, it is not always possible and we need not be too hard ourselves.
As I grew older, I began to accept the fact that mistakes are inevitable and not beat myself up too much when they happened. In fact if you never made a mistake you would never learn or grow or change. There is also a feeling of freedom that comes with giving yourself permission to make a mistake and accept it with a smile. You win some you lose some, its all part of life.
9 people like this
11 responses
@allknowing (138148)
• India
9 Oct 15
It also depends on how others around you accept you when you make mistakes. That is how we fear making mistakes because they are sometimes unforgiving. Did this ever happen to you?
4 people like this
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
9 Oct 15
@allknowing I agree, peoples reactions do matter if you let it...But as we grow older, we tend to become more confident and sure of ourselves and not bother about how others react ?
1 person likes this
@allknowing (138148)
• India
9 Oct 15
@Freelanzer But I am glad that you have got over it
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
9 Oct 15
For sure. There were always those who were just waiting for you mess up and made sure everyone knew about it
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
9 Oct 15
It is stressful to be a perfectionist, or rather "try" to be one.
@boiboing (13153)
• Northampton, England
9 Oct 15
@Freelanzer I had to cover for my perfectionist colleague whilst still doing my own job. I think our shared boss realised she was better off with someone who'd do 'enough' than someone who would stay awake all night trying to be perfect - and then go off sick for half a year.
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
9 Oct 15
It is a good way to think my friend.
There are some mistakes though in my own life that are absolutely horrendous of which I can never forgive myself.
I can move on somewhat tho.
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
9 Oct 15
They say you need to forgive yourself to truly move on.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
9 Oct 15
once i strove fer my perception 'f perfection, many years 'go, many lessons to be learnt from all the failures 'n hiccups that live's to offer. i agree that without makin' those 'oops' one cannot grow 'n learn. long 's folks also learn to take responsibility fer such, all's well.
2 people like this
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
9 Oct 15
So true. It is important that we take responsibility for the mistakes we make and not blame the dog, the weather, the other person.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220573)
• Walnut Creek, California
10 Oct 15
@Freelanzer Agree with you both. Taking responsibility, and learning from mistakes (but not kicking oneself), is/are important.
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
10 Oct 15
@TheHorse (467) I always have a problem with names, but never forget a face
@HazySue (39268)
• Gouverneur, New York
19 Dec 15
@Freelanzer it's a simple fact of life that we all make mistakes.
1 person likes this
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
9 Oct 15
You are absolutely right I too have started feeling less guilty with age...Many things that seemed wrong seem not so wrong now probably because of the liberal attitude of the society we live in ? I am not sure whether it is that or whether it is my own changed attitude ! May be both have an impact on your thinking ..
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (140254)
• Roseburg, Oregon
9 Oct 15
At least when you make a mistake doing something you learn not to do that again.
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
9 Oct 15
Learning from our mistakes could prevent us from making bigger and more damaging mistakes.
1 person likes this
@cahaya1983 (11116)
• Malaysia
9 Oct 15
I agree. Most successful people I know are the ones who learned from their past mistakes. Making mistakes shouldn't always be seen as a bad thing.
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
9 Oct 15
That is the key - learning from the mistakes otherwise it was all for nothing.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (83167)
• United States
9 Oct 15
I finally got to an age where I stopped beating myself up for mistakes I made when I was younger
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10743)
• Canada
9 Oct 15
The older you get you realize that mistakes are inevitable and even though you can minimize the number of mistakes through experience, you will make the odd one.
