May 11, 2010

Oops!   Oops! You did it again. Did what again? You made a mistake! Another one?   Mistakes happen.  And they happen to you; c'mon admit it.   So now what?  How can you use your mistakes to your advantage?   Start by admitting to yourself that you made a mistake. This can be difficult because those critical voices from your early years are loud and clear.  Did your parents, teachers, or friends ever say "don't make a mistake"?  Did "how could you have done that?" rub more salt in your wounds? Did you feel guilty, shamed, and less than perfect because of your mistakes? Do you still? Chances are then, that you work hard to avoid those feelings by denying a mistake was made OR you place the blame on someone or something else.   That is dangerous.  Why?  Because when you become so focused on the denial or blaming away of your mistakes you distance yourself from the learning that occurs when you own up to your mistakes.    That's right.  The benefit of owning up to your mistakes is that you are then able to learn from them.  Mistakes are powerful teachers, so ask yourself what wisdom you gained from those errs and how you can use that wisdom to your advantage as you pursue your goals in life.  What will you do differently next time?  You will find that the more challenging your goals, the more mistakes you will make so do not allow the latter (or those voices) to stop your pursuit.  Focus on the learning and keep moving forward.   Take a breather the next time oops happens!  Yes, you did it again, but it's the beginning of new learning.  Embrace the oops.     "All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes."             Winston Churchill   "Mistakes are painful when they happen, but years later a collection of mistakes is what is called experience."             Denis Waitley   "There are no mistakes.  The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take; they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go."             Richard Bach   "It is the highest form of self-respect to admit our errors and mistakes and make amends for them.  To make a mistake is only an error of judgment, but to adhere to it when it is discovered shows infirmity of character."             Dale E. Turner     Can you imagine life without any mistakes?  Too boring?  Well, okay, maybe a few interspersed here and there.  Just enough to make life more interesting and keep you on your toes.  Keep you moving forward and keep you learning.  Enriching your experiences, so to speak.   Those are the benefits of mistakes I can handle!   Have a fantastic week and embrace the oops!   Stephanie     We grow by "word-of-email" so please feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone whom you think might benefit from and enjoy it. Thanks so much! Contact Us: stephanie@7steps2abalancedlife.com