A love letter to mistakes

 

Dear mistakes,

 

The one question I have here, is what are you? Often times I feel as if we humans give something the ‘label’ of a mistake just so we, for example, can move on quicker. However, that does not seem like the best solution. Most of the time we define a mistake as something that went wrong without looking further into the future. That something that you now view as a mistake might be what will turn you into something better than you were before. And even better, let me tell you a little secret, most of the time this is exactly what happens. So why do we still call things like that “mistakes”, or why does the term still have such a negative connotation in our society?

Perhaps we need to accept that we make mistakes instead of trying to avoid them. Take the risk and if it turns into a mistake, don’t carry it around with you but use those mistakes as stepping stones. Just as important, when you look at people around you, remember that it is always easier and faster to judge than to understand. Many mistakes are forgivable, however the one who’s made them must have the courage to admit them. If you don’t have to courage to admit them, people around you will find it even harder to forgive.

 

Maybe something is only a mistake if we didn’t learn from it. Because making mistakes and learning from them is part of the core of our life. Trying something new means that you will make mistakes. If you didn’t, there is probably no way that you really move forward. You won’t always make the right decision in your life and that is something we have to accept. However, there will be many times in which you do make the right decision and over time it will lead you to the most amazing events, moments or things. Even if you might not see it right away, even if it takes time, it will come.

 

Also, something that might be worth mentioning is the fact that these mistakes or these lessons are guiding factors, they guide you but they don’t define you. They are part of your journey, part of who you are and part of who you become. It doesn’t help you if you keep grudges against them, but it can help to accept them as part of you. They are also a way of showing you that you are alive and living your life.

 

Mistakes make your life interesting. You know the saying that you only regret the chances you didn’t take? Well, it is kind of the same with mistakes. In the end the mistakes we will regret the most are the ones that we were too afraid to make so we didn’t even try. Mistakes keep you humble and down to earth, I much rather make mistakes and stay humble than only having achievements that leave me arrogant. Because I know that I appreciate everything so much more. Don’t get me wrong I love to see success and to experience success but we learn the most from the failure we go through to get to that said success.

 

We never know if something will work out, but almost everything is worth taking that risk, because who knows, it might actually work out and be the adventure of a lifetime. If it doesn’t work out, then trying it will be a great adventure as well.

 

All my love,

 

Anna