Was it a "mistake"?

Let's talk about "mistakes" and their gross misinterpretation

Mistakes aren’t optimal nor desired, but are they “bad?”

This label or perspective influences our subsequent emotional response to a “mistake.”

Typical emotional responses to mistakes are judgment based:

• Guilt

• Shame

• Humiliation

• Embarrassment

These four emotional responses based on judgment are low energy and undesirable and come with a very steep price tag.

Here’s the price we pay for our misinterpretation of mistakes:

• Fear of trying new things.

• Stay stuck in what feels safe, familiar, and comfortable.

• Lack of growth and new experiences.

• Make the same mistakes over and over as they feel safe.

• Fear of judgment causes us to quit or make excuses.

These emotions create an energy of resistance, and what resists persists.

Up until now, we’ve chosen to label an undesirable outcome as a “mistake.”

Would you be open to a much better label?

Labeling Undesirable Outcomes as a “Result”

What would change if we renamed undesirable outcomes as simply “results?”

A lot would change primarily because we move away from judgment and towards acceptance.

The payoff for doing so is our emotional response changes.

Instead of feeling guilt, shame, humiliation, and embarrassment.

We instead feel:

• Self-compassion

• Anticipation

• Empathy

• Peace

• Trust

Defining undesirable outcomes as results invites us to be curious about the inputs that led to the results.

We can learn and grow from reflecting on our results.

A simple way to remember this is:

Inputs influence outputs

If you want to change your outputs, change your inputs.

Another way to look at it is:

Despite our wishes, plans, and best efforts, things will not always go our way.

When we resist what is, we shift our focus, energy, and attention to the past.

When we accept what is, we shift our focus, energy, and attention to the now.

Transformation happens when we harness the power in the now to create.

Choose to create or to ruminate.

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