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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois State chapter.

Hannah Montana once said, “Nobody is perfect.” I strongly agree with this as it is indeed, a fact. No one has the ability to do everything absolutely perfectly, which includes, yes, me. Mistakes happen. We all make them, it is part of what makes us human. Many of us always strive to aim for perfection. We hate to disappoint ourselves and others around us. Sometimes we can fix our mistakes, but other times we’re not so fortunate. Gaining a realization that it’s okay to make mistakes can make our lives much happier. Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s crucial for your mental health and well-being to learn how to take responsibility for them, move past them and forgive yourself.

Your mistakes do not define who you are. What you choose to do after making mistakes is what will ultimately determine your success. Every error you commit is a teaching moment. They don’t diminish your abilities. However, how you deal with them and grow from them is what makes you who you are.

Forgive yourself for what happened. For the mistakes you made. For your poor choices. For not showing up the way you needed to. For not being the person you wanted to be. You’re human. You did the best you could at the moment given what you knew and what you had, and that is all you can ask of yourself. You’re still learning. You’re still finding your way. That takes time. And you’re allowed to give yourself that time. You’re allowed to show up in the world imperfectly. You’re allowed to fail at things you tried hard for. You’re allowed to realize you made the wrong decision. You’re allowed to be someone who is still figuring out their path and purpose. You’re allowed to forgive yourself.

Your life doesn’t have to be perfect for you to be proud. In fact, I think it’s the opposite: the more imperfect your life has been, the prouder you should be, because it means you’ve come that much further, and also probably had a lot more fun along the way.

Moira McGuire

Illinois State '24