There is a proverb that says, “The only way to make no mistakes is to avoid trying to do anything.” Though, have you ever stopped to consider that your mistakes might be a good thing? They expose us as vulnerable and resilient and expose others as judgmental or supportive. In general, you need to know these things for optimal mental wellness.
Some people see your human shortcomings as a reason to judge you, disregard and belittle you. For those people, your perceived shortcomings are proof of how they felt and or are feeling inferior to you. They now believe this misstep makes you less and them more. In this perception, even when a Rolls Royce gets mud on it, it’s still better than a Honda, but trust this – it’s not true.
Reframing your thoughts about your mistakes is a way to reveal the “anxiety inducing Hondas” in your life. This process also helps to notice other people like you in your life. The type of people who know their worth without comparison, and as a result know yours.
Allowing yourself to be vulnerable also proves your resilience.
Our mistakes also effortlessly reveal our vulnerability. When we make the wrong moves, we feel broken, we feel exposed, and we may even feel like failures. That vulnerability can expose deeper issues we didn’t realize still plagued us or even existed. Maybe we had never felt seen or had developed the defense mechanism of perfectionism. When the endeavor doesn’t work out as planned it may expose that old feeling of being overlooked or imperfect.
That feeling can only be addressed if it is faced straight on. Most things lose their power over you when you face them. Mistakes can force you to face the things holding you back that you’ve managed to avoid when you felt you had the choice. Though, allowing yourself to be vulnerable also proves your resilience, as you quickly discover that the things you thought would break you actually clears the mental fog around it, instead. Eventually you learn, and you become better equipped for everything else in your life.
Make room for your mistakes.
They can reveal the areas in which you need additional support for your mental health, and help you get rid of those people who are enemies of mental wealth.
If you need help navigating your mistakes and getting rid of the people who highlight those mistakes, contact us at tanyikamoorehealingarts.com for more information.
By: Tanyika “Tann” Moore, LMFT