Mistakes and Imperfections Make Us Real

There is one sure fire way to be happier in our lives.  That way is by finding beauty in our own mistakes and imperfections.  We all need to accept and forgive our own failings.  Humans are most definitely a complicated bunch.  There is no way any one of us remain a constant.  We all are a bundle of contradictions in all that we say and do.  Embrace it.  Learn from it.  Smile that smile that says to the world that you know where you went wrong and you have a plan to make it all better.  Not only will we be happier with this decision, it will give others hope that the choice is out there for everyone to handle mistakes and imperfections in this manner.

The pursuit of perfection is a fruitless endeavor.  The misery that it can cause is overwhelming.  Why would any of us want to inflict this pain upon ourselves, when in reality there would be no growth, no surprises and life would be just so dull and boring if everything were perfect without mistakes?  For example, are you aware that through mistakes of others we have, to name just a few, penicillin, aspirin, X-rays, Teflon, Velcro, Post-it notes, cornflakes, chocolate chip cookies and Coca-Cola? 

No one can go back and make a brand new start, however, everyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.  It really does not matter how much analyzing that any one of us want to take up time to do; it is wasted time.  Telling ourselves that if only we had chosen another way will not change the outcome of events.  So my take on the whole process is to move forward with another plan.

Moving forward in new ways.  If we keep doing things the old way then we will keep getting the same results, therefore, it is important to find opportunities to reinvent ourselves and to organize ourselves to a new way of thinking.  

I, for one, do not have to be defined by the things that I have done in the past.  The future is out there for me.  It is out there for all of us, if we take off the blinders.  It is not possible for any human to not make mistakes.  That is out of our power.  What is in our power is to learn from them and move on to a better future.  

Most of us always take a moment (some longer moments than others) to beat ourselves up over the mistakes that we have made. We all despise making obvious mistakes when all of the red flags and other signs were there right in front of us.  Once the mistake is made, exactly what good is hindsight?  What we do need to think about is how much more time do we wish to waste in judging ourselves when it was inevitable sooner or later.  Learning experiences are much more beneficial.

In one respect, my mistakes can help open me up to taking new risks that I may not have been ready to take on before.  It leads me to a clearer idea of what I want and how to achieve it.  Once we realize that we all are not so perfect, and this is what creates our unique personalities, we can accept who we are and start a new path towards success. There is an integrity in admitting to your mistake and taking responsibility for it without blaming others.   

Two of the most positive lessons that I have learned in my humanly imperfections and making mistakes is that it has taught me that I need to live fully engaged and to settle for nothing less.  The second thing that I am proud to say that I have learned, is that by the way that I accept me for the person that I truly am, it has helped some others to become inspired to move on with their lives in new directions.  I do say this with a humbleness.  There are some who have shared this with me.  There is no way that I have the answer to end all questions.  None of us do.  My thoughts are that if I can inspire another human being to pull themselves up again and to move forward then I have not only helped myself, but others too.  

In one of Billy Joel's songs, he writes that, "You are only human, you're allowed to make your share of mistakes...Don't forget your second wind...It's alright!"  We are only human!