Inspire The Art of Accepting Your Mistakes

"Be humble to see your mistakes, courageous to admit them, and wise enough to correct them." - Amine Ayad 

It's never easy to admit your mistakes. No one likes to fail, but it's a part of life. It takes failure after failure to create success. Toddlers fall down multiple times before learning how to walk. Children fall off their bicycles before they learn how to ride smoothly. They fail, but they get right back up and start over. They try and try again--never giving up on their goals.

Once you believe in yourself, you're halfway there. Don't regret anything because every detail of your life, including the mistakes, shape you into who you are today. Most importantly, the mistakes shape you into the person you will become.

(photo/molly ho studio)

Take your time. Once you make a mistake, take your time to heal. Moving on doesn't take a day. Sometimes, it doesn't even take a week. It can take some time to overcome the mistake and decide how to grow. Be gentle with yourself during this time. You're doing the best you can. It'll be okay. You'll be okay. 

It's okay to make mistakes. I once heard that there is no success without failure. If you don't make a mistake while you're experimenting or attempting something new, you're not doing it right. You learn from those small failures. You learn what works and what doesn't.

Be positive. This is hard to tackle, but positive thinking creates positive results. Winston Churchill once said, "Success is moving from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm." Don't lose your momentum. You must believe you can do something amazing. You must have faith in yourself if you want to see positive results. Things will always turn out best for you if you make the most of your mistakes.

You're closer to success than you think. Success is right around the corner; you just might not see it. Use your mistakes as stepping stones. Allow the mistakes to teach you important lessons. Every time you make a mistake, tell yourself (literally, say it out loud) that you're one step closer to your goal. The only mistake that will truly hurt you is if you allow that mistake to prevent you from achieving your dreams. That's when you have lost. Failure isn't the act of falling down when you were trying; it's from when you chose to stay down on the ground without getting right back up and trying again.

(photo/Pinterest)

Your mistakes don't define you. Again, it's okay to make mistakes. Mistakes happen to everyone. No one is perfect. On social media, we always try to promote the best qualities of our lives. "Here's my perfectly organized bedroom. There's not one area of clutter." No, no, no. In real life, we have clutter. We spill our drinks. We stain our clothes with pizza sauce. We trip and stub our toes on the living room coffee table. We have a bad hair day. If you're scrolling through your Instagram newsfeed and you see someone who appears to be living a wonderful, perfect life, don't feel bad about yourself. Don't worry about your struggles--because that person behind the account has struggles, as well. You're not defined by your mistakes; you're defined by how you accept those mistakes.

Mistakes are a form of practice. You're going to make a mistake; it's inevitable. If you're an artist, like myself, you're going to make a mistake while you're practicing. That's part of the learning game. Learn from the mistake. How are you going to move forward? What are you going to do about the mistakes? Are you going to keep trying? Or, are you going to give up and never practice again?

You know the right answer to that question.

Life goes on. Yes, no one likes to make mistakes. Mistakes are painful when they happen, especially if they're difficult. But years later, it'll just be a memory. Do you want to live in regret that you gave up on your dream just because of one mistake? No, I don't think so. Everyone makes mistakes. But what are you going to do about the mistake? How are you going to grow and change to overcome the mistake? That's what is important to consider. Don't worry so much about the mistake. Instead, focus on what you're going to do to improve the situation. Be brave and daring.

Just like when you were a toddler, stand up from the floor and try walking again. You're one step closer to your goals. You may stumble along the way, but that's part of life. You may fall, but you have to pick yourself right back up. Accept your mistakes and know that while things go wrong, life goes on.

Life will always go on.

Trust me.

-KJL-