Humans as we are, do and commit mistakes which is inevitable. “Nobody’s perfect” as the saying goes. Whether it is done accidentally, unknowingly, or on purpose, mistake is something we can no longer undo. But we can always choose to move on and make it as an opportunity for learning and growth.

Surprisingly, there are mistakes done unknowingly or accidentally. This is when carelessness of a person kicks in and not thinking about the outcome or what could go wrong. It is unintentional, but the pain, harm, or damage may take us forever to heal.

We might not notice it but yes, there are mistakes done on purpose. When we know beforehand what we are doing and by putting ourselves in an undesirable situation, but we still do it anyway. This becomes our choice that we have chosen to continue knowing what we are doing may be wrong or a risk. Therefore, any consequences resulting from this decision or choices become our responsibility we will be having accountability for it.

At times we feel that the mistake we have done is something really grave and we feel like we are doomed to more and more failures or disappointments. We forget to pick ourselves up again and get back up. We tend to dwell on the situation and repeat that unfortunate scenario in our mind all over again. We don’t realise that these are also the moments where we need to put a lot of effort into understanding ourselves and finding in us the willingness to forgive and let go. Yes, we may be at fault, whether intentionally or not we need to deal with the mistake at hand and make amends where needed and then move on, so we can work on becoming the best version of who we are. For some, it may take a while to recover and forgive, but at the end of the day, we should realise that part of being a human is to fail at times, but what’s important is we learn from it and then move forward.

“Nothing is fully learnt if we don’t make mistakes.”

Renaye Thornborrow, author of The Adventures in Wisdom Skillbooks, suggested the 5 I’s When Making A Mistake and tells us smart and helpful ways as to what we could do when committing these grungies or negative thoughts.

1. First, say “I did it”. Admit that you made the mistake. Don’t try to

hide it. Don’t make excuses. Don’t blame others.

2. Second, say “I’m sorry”. If you hurt someone, or disappointed

someone, saying ‘I’m sorry’ can help. And be sure to forgive yourself

as well – remember that everyone makes mistakes.

3. Third, say “I’ll fix it”. Sometimes we can fix our mistakes. If you

break something, you can replace it. If you forget to do something,

you still might be able to do it.

4. Fourth, say “I’ll learn from it”. Learn from the mistake. Ask

yourself:

♦ What do I get to learn from this mistake?

♦ How could I have avoided this mistake?

♦ What will I do different next time?

5. And finally, say “I let it go”. Don’t carry the mistake with you. It will

only drag you down and keep you focused in the past and not on

what you want to create today.”

We should keep in mind that the more we are aware of the mistakes we have done, and acknowledge that we fail from time to time, the easier it is for us to forgive ourselves and move forward. What we have done should be left in the past and never carry it with us as we go through life. In this case, we know that the coming days are brighter for us as we face it because we have started fresh and the burden we are carrying is left behind. A mistake is there to teach us.

Mistakes are Lessons we should never regret but instead take with us as we journey life.