Error lessons
The myth of infallibility
Has it crossed your mind that you’re perfect? Or you need to be? That you believe you must know it all and you could and should always be right? And the world, and above all you, cannot accept being less than the best? And you define this best in very personal terms and criteria?
To err is human
The result cannot be the cause. And hence outcomes cannot be determined at the outset. You cannot start at the finish point. And you are not a winner before you run the race. You can however determine your outcomes, you can reach the finish point if you run and you can be a winner if you’re the fastest. All this is only possible if you don’t get trapped into the fictional expectation of endless perfection from yourself. There is always a chance that you will falter, and fall and fail. But there is also the option to resurrect, rise and succeed yet again. Redefine mistakes to recreate learning experiences.
Mistake defined:
Mistake: (n) A misguided act or judgement
Mistake redefined:
Mistake: (n) A re-clarification of wants
Mistake: (n) A guide to self-acceptance
Mistake: (n) A very special kind of teacher
Mistake: (n) A new way to make choices
Mistake: (n) A method of introspection
Mistake: (n) A wake-up call.
A re-clarification of wants
Sometimes we are unsure of what we want and hence make wrong choices. Like paying up for incorrect study courses, indulging in unrequired shopping sprees, seeking faulty friendships or relationships; and even a erroneous choice of words in communication. We make the right moves but in the wrong direction. When you realize you made a mistake, you also learn more about what you were chasing and how it wasn’t something you truly and deeply wanted in the first place.
A guide to self-acceptance
We see mistakes as enemies because we are trapped in the mythos of flawlessness. How could I go wrong? How come I didn’t know we had to study that chapter? How did I miss the alarm and get late for my test? We are allowed make mistakes because we are human
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Dr Shefali Batra is a Psychiatrist and Mindfulness Coach. Connect with her on Instagram @drshefalibatra and read more about her work at drshefalibatra.com.