It is in human nature that we want to fit in and make sure that people around us like us, and most importantly, care about us. That might be the reason why we want to avoid mistakes at all cost. When you do make a mistake it feels really bad. Most of the time we have negative emotions because mistakes do not exactly get a hurray in this society.
The worst case scenarios have a different impact than small and harmless mistakes. You might send a confidential email to a wrong person or make a promise that you can’t keep. The worst mistakes on the other hand – well, you know what kind of mistakes identify as one to you. But even if that happens, take a step back and think of the following: Did someone die or got sick because of this? If the answer is a solid no, then everything is really fine. Although it might seem like the end of the world, it is not.
Mistakes that result in losing or breaking stuff can make you feel as bad as mistakes that involve real living people or animals. Usually material objects are replacable; you can always get a new one. In the end it is the meaning that you have given to the material that is important to you, not the actual thing.
Mistakes with living things can be more complicated. Breaking a promise or loosing someone’s trust have a deeper impact on you future life. It is important to remember the power of apologizing personally and sincerely to the person you have hurt. Being humble, truthful and apologetic is the key to make peace with the person you have made upset with your mistake. This can be an opportunity for you and the other person or people to have a heart-to-heart conversation. The incident can even help you to bond and get closer to the other(s).
People are not perfect and that makes us interesting. Most of the time the ‘mistakes or missteps’ we make are harmless. Sometimes mistakes can be a great topic for a conversation and surely give all the listeners a good laugh. Always remember to be kind to yourself. Do not underestimate the power of forgiveness when you go through something like this.
Embrace the lesson you learned from your mistake and move on. Everything is going to be alright.