Oooops ...
Let's face it. We all make mistakes in life.
Some mistakes are big ones, life-changing boo-boos like, say, driving your car the wrong way on an Interstate Exit ramp and instantly killing an entire Iranian family in a head-on collision, or even worse, like getting married.
But for most of us, life is just a string of small mistakes. We forget someone's birthday. We run our bank account into overdraft. We forget to flush the toilet. We say something sarcastic and hurt someone's feelings. We drink a beer too many and act like an idiot at the in-law's family reunion. Oh, the possibilities are endless, because, generally speaking, people have an innate ability to screw up.
It's not a big deal, really. Making mistakes doesn't make you a bad person. Sure, mistakes are embarrassing, and sometimes you feel like a complete idiot when you realise you really were an idiot, but oh well, it's just life. Most times, you survive the experience and move on to brighter and better days.
Over my lifetime, I have made a couple of huge mistakes and a million little ones. When a mistake hurts another person, I am quick to apologise with the hope that my apology is accepted. If it is accepted, then great. If not, then I just move on regardless. Despite my Catholic upbringing, I am quick to forgive myself my trespasses, and I never much care what anyone else thinks.
Most importantly, I never tolerate the kind of person who makes a career out of reminding me of the mistakes I have made. Allowing anyone to try to make you feel inept, ridiculous, unworthy, or small is, without exception, the greatest mistake of all.
Let's face it. We all make mistakes in life.
Some mistakes are big ones, life-changing boo-boos like, say, driving your car the wrong way on an Interstate Exit ramp and instantly killing an entire Iranian family in a head-on collision, or even worse, like getting married.
But for most of us, life is just a string of small mistakes. We forget someone's birthday. We run our bank account into overdraft. We forget to flush the toilet. We say something sarcastic and hurt someone's feelings. We drink a beer too many and act like an idiot at the in-law's family reunion. Oh, the possibilities are endless, because, generally speaking, people have an innate ability to screw up.
It's not a big deal, really. Making mistakes doesn't make you a bad person. Sure, mistakes are embarrassing, and sometimes you feel like a complete idiot when you realise you really were an idiot, but oh well, it's just life. Most times, you survive the experience and move on to brighter and better days.
Over my lifetime, I have made a couple of huge mistakes and a million little ones. When a mistake hurts another person, I am quick to apologise with the hope that my apology is accepted. If it is accepted, then great. If not, then I just move on regardless. Despite my Catholic upbringing, I am quick to forgive myself my trespasses, and I never much care what anyone else thinks.
Most importantly, I never tolerate the kind of person who makes a career out of reminding me of the mistakes I have made. Allowing anyone to try to make you feel inept, ridiculous, unworthy, or small is, without exception, the greatest mistake of all.
