At times we are too hard on ourselves and criticise our mistakes to an unhelpful degree, other times we are too easy on ourselves and let excuses run our lives.
Which way are you leaning right now? How can you pull yourself back to centre?
In the jargon of the art world, there is a term – the ‘happy accident’ – used to describe an unintended slip of the brush, which when the artist steps back to evaluate it thinks to themself, “actually that looks pretty good”. I’ve learned to appreciate the fact that mistakes are not always mistakes. Sometimes if you go with the flow, beautiful creations will result.
Handling mistakes well can help us relax and enjoy all aspects of life more, as making mistakes is something we have to learn to live with. If not, we will never be able to be the best that we can possibly be.
Welcome and even embrace your mistakes, try to learn from them and they will eventually turn into something extraordinary.
- Vicky Anne
Image by @bernulia / Instagram
Further reading:
I love this...
Philosopher Alan Watts on mistakes:
"Regard yourself as a cloud, in the flesh, because you see, clouds never make mistakes. Did you ever see a cloud that was misshapen? Did you ever see a badly designed wave? No, they always do the right thing. But, if you will, treat yourself for a while as a cloud or a wave and realize that you can’t make a mistake whatever you do. Because even if you do something that appears totally disastrous, it will all come out in the wash somehow or another. Then through this capacity you will develop a kind of confidence. And through confidence you will be able to trust your own intuition."