We are all human, and mistakes will happen

Have you ever made a mistake? If you answered, “No,” you are not being honest with yourself. If you answered “Yes,” you are healthy. We have ALL made mistakes—sometimes, many in one day. I can’t begin to count the mistakes I’ve made.

Mistakes have much value. Big mistakes that cause emotions in our belly are the ones we learn the most from—the ones we remember. Mistakes improve our memories—we remember the less-than-proud moments in our lives.

You can initially recall more mistakes than successes. They not only help us learn, they help us laugh—at ourselves, and that’s the best kind of humor.

As I write this, I recall leading a high school pep rally. I mispronounced a word (I don’t remember), and a classmate yelled the correct pronunciation into the gymnasium. I do remember the classmate. That experience made me question the qualities of a friend.

Another time, I was helping with harvesting, and my husband asked me to pull the truck around to the front of the bins. Unknown to me, someone activated the hoist lever, and I dumped a whole load of wheat on 30+ yards of foot-tall weeds. I can still see his face. In addition to the daily tensions during harvest, I was in deep trouble for a long time. I don’t think I drove a truck full of wheat again.

There was the time I had my nose in my phone, stepped off the curb, and fractured bones in both legs. Or the time I totally forgot the scripture I was helping preschool kids recite at the Christmas program.

Some mistakes involve passing up opportunities, such as declining an invitation to join a raft trip on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon or attending a United States Naval Academy graduation. I knew I would not likely get those chances again, so these were big mistakes.

There are also little mistakes, like pouring sour milk into my one and only cup of morning coffee, losing my credit card, or calling someone I knew well the wrong name.

Mistakes can be humiliating, rude, unforgivable, or devastating. No matter what they are, they are normal. If we can’t forgive someone’s mistake, especially when “I’m so sorry!” is extended, we have likely forgotten that we, too, have been guilty of making bad judgment calls.

On the other hand, if you can’t forgive your blunders, you have likely forgotten that nobody is perfect or free of mistakes. The last time I checked, we’re all human and guilty of making mistakes.

Making mistakes might temporarily affect our mental wellness, but they also provide lessons, perspectives, inventions, better ideas, and funny stories.

Until the next time: Live while you live.

Jennifer Goble, Ph.D., LPC, is the author of “My Clients…My Teachers,” and the blogger and writer of Rural Women Stories: www.ruralwomenstories.com.