MISTAKES: PORTAL OF WISDOM AND DISCOVERY
Making mistakes is better than faking perfection.
Do you strive to be a perfectionist? Are you obsessed with things being right? Are you afraid of making mistakes? Have you ever made a mistake in your life? Did you feel ashamed of it and regret your mistake? We all have done things we are ashamed of. All of us regret some decisions we have taken in the past. Mistakes are painful experiences that might end in bitter judgement.
A curious paradox is a need to loosen our grip on perfection to achieve success. The wisdom of imperfection is a perennial lesson from some of history’s greatest minds.
“The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake -you can’t learn anything from being perfect.” — Adam Osborne.
The Phantasm of Perfection
Society pressurises a person to be a ‘perfectionist’. From childhood, some words keep ringing in our ears: ‘Making mistakes is bad, do not make any mistakes!!’. But can someone be a utopian in reality? Every action will have some flaws. No individual can ever possess a perfect level of all desired qualities. Perfection might be an illusion at times.
Each of us could have made some mistakes ranging from minor ones like scoring poorly in exams, failing diet regimens, being late to class, and lavishing time on social media, to even some serious ones like choosing the wrong career, hesitating to take a new step, and many more. Still, the beauty lies in the fact that life allows us to amend our mistakes. So, refrain from embarrassment, overcome guilt, and get rid of anxiety about being committed to perfection. The pursuit of perfection renders our ability and merely robs the vibrancy of life.
Rephrase mistakes into wisdom
When you perceive that something happened wrong, drenching yourself in the pain of mistakes isn’t a solution. Ask yourself the following questions: What is the area of fault? What made you take the wrong decision? How to rectify it? A genuine answer to all these will give you a clear mindset. But never try to cover up faults or play the ‘blame game’; keep aside the vanity, take responsibility for your actions and learn to deal with its consequences. Ironically, not admitting the mistake is the biggest mistake a person can make. In case you disclose anyone harmed by mistake, convey sincere apologies to them. By this, people will forgive or forget your mistake and remember your courage and integrity in admitting the mistake.
Figuring out the critical factors for the mistakes and analysing the root cause is essential. The ideal solution will safeguard you from repeating the same mistake and foreshorten future errors. Embrace the inevitable process of growing with the experience you earned. Each mistake is a little nugget of knowledge that can improve you.
Wisdom comes from admitting mistakes with gratitude and humility, having the courage to deal with them, and progressing with the gem of knowledge from those experiences is important.
“If you have the guts to make mistakes, then wisdom and intelligence will leap forward with huge momentum”- Holly Near.
Sometimes, there can be cases where anything you end up doing might seem awful. At such times just remember, ‘Life’s greatest lessons are from the worst mistakes.’ There is no moving forward without the occasional setback. Try to learn from your mistakes and avoid falling into the same pothole again.
When questioned whether he had faced any failure for the invention of the workable electric light bulb, Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Change perspective on mistakes as challenges you tackle to expand horizons and open up new possibilities to make it a stepping stone for future creation.
A person who has never made a mistake never dared to do anything new. All of the great things mankind has done are due to the trial and error method, and the courage to experience new things in life. A mere fear of being unsuccessful, shouldn’t stop a person from trying out new things in life.
Mistakes expose us to our hidden potentials and unfulfilled virtues. Mistakes sculpt one to be better than yesterday.
Let yourself commit mistakes!!
Take responsibility for mistakes!!
Spot the mistake!!
Look for the reason!!
Amend the error!!
Accumulate a mountain of experience!!
Acquire knowledge out of it!!
Avoid repetition of the same!!
Come out of the dark cloud for a progressive life!!
Life is all about how we react to our happenings. Perceive it constructively to do incredible things for a better future.
“It’s okay to make mistakes, and remember never to give up.”
