Mistakes are part of our daily lives. That's a fact. The challenge lies in admitting the mistakes, accepting the consequences,learningfrom them and using them to move forward in your life. They all are equally challenging. The difficult part seems to be keeping the blame and shame out of the equation. It's second nature to revert back to the little kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar when you do something wrong. Admit it. You've been there. We all have. It's easy to feel Mom or Dad's words in the back of our minds when we do something we realize we shouldn't have done. Enter Shame How many times have you felt like the "bad little boy" when you realize you've made yet another mistake? Growing up we were told so many times how we did something wrong (Mom and Dad did the best the could and tried to teach us right) that somehow over the years we develop a sense of shame about doing something wrong. Instead of the mistake being wrong, we learned that we we wrong. Like if we made a mistake, we were bad, and not the mistake. It was a fine line. Growing up, I had great parents. But like all parents, they had their flaws. They were very poverty-minded. They also had a way of avoiding confrontation at all costs. If I heard, "Why can't you be more like your brothers" once, I heard it a thousand times growing up. Not only from my parents but also from teachers. To me, that equaled "they were good; I was bad." Not a great self-esteem builder. I found myself always seeking approval and somehow always falling short. It felt as if my voice wasn't good enough. So I identified myself with what the proverbial "everyone" thought of me. It took years to find my own voice. Blame As a Close Second When confronted with making a mistake, it's so easy to cop out and blame someone, anyone for what you just did. But I didn't know any better But I thought it would be ok But I didn't mean to hurt anybody And the list goes on... Keeping the "But I's" to a Minimum I've got one word for you... Responsibility Yes, I know, it's a toughie. Who wants to take responsibility when it's so easy to just blame someone else? Not only is it the right thing to do, it's the first secret of success, if you ask me. Step up and own your mistakes. Find your voice. Take a chance. Make those mistakes. Learn from them. Use the information you've learned to do it better the next time. Finding the Better Way I've personally procrastinated on more occasions than I'd like to admit for fear of failing or making a mistake. (If you're a regular reader here, you know this from my lack of posting.) Life's too short to fear mistakes. Welcome them. Throw them a party. Embrace them. And most importantly, learn from them. Your successful life awaits... So, the next time you fear doing something, just jump right in (what a great song by The Urge...remember?) Make it a game. Look for the hidden gift in the mistake and see how your attitude toward making mistakes will change. I now welcome mistakes. I've learned some of my best life lessons through making some whoppers! I still make mistakes and always will. I am just learning to find the lesson in each one and use it to become a better person. It's a slow process. It doesn't happen overnight. But it is SO worth it when it "hits you" and you start to change the way you feel about making mistakes. So, get out there and live big, make mistakes along the way, learn from them and use the lessons to let your own brilliant light shine. YOU can do it. If I can, anyone can.

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