Redefining Mistakes
Mistakes. We all make them. It’s not an excuse, just a reality. It’s part of being human. Of being alive. Of learning. And of growing up.
As I watch our little girl learn the simple tasks like drinking from a cup, eating with a spoon, walking, dressing and undressing, I started seeing mistakes in a different light.
Our failure to do what is right no matter how big or small they are shouldn’t define who we are, but it’s how we deal with them. However, once in a while, we all buy the same lie.
We all labeled ourselves failure, not good enough, undeserving, unworthy.
These awful names we carry, whether we let others know of it, or we hide it perfectly well, close the door to what is TRUE. What we don’t realize is that the mistakes we make offer us an opportunity to choose wisely. To live better. To wipe our tears away when we stumble. To stand up and try again.
I just wish as adults that we will learn to see mistakes the way our innocent toddlers do.
I don’t think they go around labeling themselves with lies when they failed at something. Otherwise they will stop trying. And that’s what happens to us. That becomes our default. We paralyze ourselves and make our world even smaller because we don’t want to go out there and try again.
As adults we are afraid of making mistakes. So we choose to stay in the harbor where it is safe.
Why are we afraid of sailing into uncharted waters? Why do we fear getting knocked down by the wind, and making a fool of ourselves? Why is it so important to appear like we have it all figured out even though we don’t have the slightest clue of what’s really going on?
Have we forgotten that failure to do things right the first time taught our little ones the very basic of things, like sitting up, walking, eating with a spoon? So why are we being so hard on ourselves?
I am not asking us to give ourselves permission to make more room for more mistakes. All I am asking is can we at least give ourselves more room for grace to come in?
More room for grace when we make stupid decisions we regret making in the first place.
Because come to think of it, none of us is perfect. We are all still in the process of learning. And no matter how big we think we are, in the grand scheme of things, we are still just a speck of dust in this big wide world.