What I am reflecting?
I’m sorry. I’ll do better in the future.
This week, I found myself recalling an incident that happened to me. I was blamed for an action I took that wasn’t right. Simply put, I made a mistake and got scolded for it.
My first instinct was to apologize. I said, “I’m sorry.” At that moment, there was really nothing I could do to undo what had already happened. I remember telling myself, it already happened, and there’s nothing more I can do about it now.
Interestingly, I’m not sure why, but my instinct these days is to keep quiet first and process the situation. That wasn’t who I was many years ago. Back then, I would try to find reasons — reasons why it might not have been me who caused the failure in the first place.
And yes, I admit it. I want to have fewer failures than I seem to have. But things happen. I’m human after all. And humans make mistakes.
At the same time, another thought crossed my mind. Despite all the blunders that happened, why is it that I’m not appreciated when I reach out to help? I often take proactive action and work on things that aren’t even supposed to be my domain.
Then I wondered — if, and just if, I weren’t such a busybody, maybe I would make fewer mistakes.
But here’s the point I want to share with you. Just like in my example, you might make more mistakes simply because you’re committed to doing more. When you step into areas that aren’t fully within your strengths or experience, mistakes are part of the process. Still, that shouldn’t stop you from doing what truly matters.
You just need to be okay with the fact that doing more also means being exposed to more opportunities for failure. And that’s alright. Really. Enjoy the process of doing more. Admit the mistakes when they happen. Apologize if needed. Then move on.
For me, it’s clear that I’ll continue to do more so I can gain richer and more meaningful life experiences. And for you, failure — or even unintentionally hurting people because of setbacks — doesn’t have to be the reason you stop experimenting.
Embrace the setbacks. That’s how you build the muscle of a growth mindset.
Happy exploring and doing.
Quote I’m pondering
There is nothing good or bad, thinking makes it so.
Affirmation I used
“This or something better …”