It’s Okay to Make Mistakes

Because They Don’t Define You, They Teach You

by: Unsplash

I know this because I’ve made my share of mistakes big ones, small ones, embarrassing ones, and each time, I’ve learned something new about myself. It’s hard to accept, though, isn’t it? That we’re not expected to get everything right, all the time. In fact, getting it wrong is the part that proves we’re living, that we’re trying, that we’re human.

We all know the saying, “Nobody’s perfect.” But let’s be honest: there’s still a lot of pressure out there to get it right to be perfect, to be flawless. Mistakes, it seems, are something to be ashamed of. They’re seen as a weakness, a flaw. And for some reason, when we make them, we sometimes feel like we’ve failed, not just the situation but ourselves.

So why is it that we label mistakes as failures, as something “bad”? Why do we let the fear of messing up hold us back from trying, from living fully? Maybe it’s because of how we were raised, or the voices that surround us, telling us to be careful, to do things right.

The Fear of Being Wrong

If you were like me growing up, you were probably told over and over to avoid mistakes. “Don’t do that — you’ll mess up.” “Be careful — you’ll regret it.” From an early age, these messages plant seeds of fear. And as you grow older, the idea of getting…