by Arriane Morales
How many times did you fall down after you have learned how to walk? Life is full of ups and downs, and falling down means experiencing failures or committing mistakes.
We find ourselves often in that situation usually because we rush things, forgetting that there is no shortcut to success. Doing things slowly and moderately and thinking clearly before making a decision prevent us from making many mistakes. One big help too is to keep learning and adapting ourselves to what’s going on, making us wiser and smarter and less prone to committing mistakes.
No Excuses
Human beings commit mistakes every now and then. No one is excused from this. Regardless if the mistake is simple or grave, the experience can be very unpleasant. It can affect a person’s self-worth, self-confidence, and decision making. It can give a person a feeling of guilt. Committing a mistake or failing in something can prevent someone from moving on. It can make her lose her sense of direction, preventing her from pursuing her goals. However, one can regain one’s confidence and be able to move on by, first, acknowledging the mistake; second, finding ways to correct this; third, not dwelling on it too much and trying to move on; and lastly, having the consciousness and willingness not to do it again.
Lessons Learned
Whenever we regard mistakes as lessons learned, they become positive. Instead of putting us down, they help us to become stronger and more determined. They can open doors of opportunities. Learning from those mistakes gives us a sense of accomplishment and personal growth. For example, failing an examination because you did not study is a mistake. You can say that you really learned your lesson if the next time you have again an exam, you now study hard and prepare for it. Besides, studying is like entering a door of opportunities—opportunities to learn more and to become wiser and smarter.
Turn Around
Many of the best lessons in life were born out of mistakes. One example that I can cite is the life of the Hollywood star Drew Barrymore. She started her showbiz career when she was a child. Because apparently she did not have good role models, she got into drugs and other vices at an early age. She almost ruined her life because of those mistakes. However, when she became an adult, she was able to turn her life around. She was given a second chance at acting and became popular again, and there are no negative controversies about her since then. Obviously she learned from her mistakes.
True Maturity
Falling down or experiencing failures and committing mistakes is a natural part of our lives. We may regard them as lessons learned or a reminder of our strength and ability to stand up and get out of a difficult situation. However, we should not use this as an excuse to commit the same mistakes over and over again. Our being able to avoid the same mistakes means that we have truly matured and have learned our lessons well.
Arriane Morales is a health care aide at Riverview Health Centre. She is currently upgrading her nursing education.
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