Most of us like to get things right…make the right decisions, the right choices…follow the right directions along the right life paths. The inevitability is, however, that there have been times, there are times and there will be times when we will get it wrong. Despite what can sometimes be the supreme effort, we are flawed human beings and, as such, we will fall into error. And there are consequences.
Mistakes can be upsetting. They can also be humbling. Sometimes a mistake can be devastating resulting in costly consequences. Pain and shame can be more than a little difficult to accept.
The indisputable reality is that mistakes are part of the learning process and very much a part of a life well lived. Their value is in that they serve to teach us; to make us more complete. But only if we are prepared to acknowledge that a misstep has occurred and then do something about it.
Life is not only about identifying and accepting our weaknesses and failings, it’s about working towards not repeating mistakes. It’s about striving to be a better person today than we were yesterday. It’s about living in the moment and dealing with the reality of that moment.
Being aware of past mistakes gives us the focus to avoid repetition. That focus allows us to build the strength to keep moving forwards.
There are no guarantees…but success is built on failure. The true measure of a person is not the number of times they have tried and failed. It lies in the lessons learned.
Character is something that has to be built and the building blocks are both good and bad experiences; success and failure.
We are all products of our past mistakes but we must choose not to be prisoners of our past mistakes.
Gary Bentley Counselling 