“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” ~ James Joyce

Mistakes may ultimately be the portals of discovery, but when they first happen, I believe they feel a little bit more like the trapdoor to embarrassment and humiliation. They’re rough at first, but with time, we can see them as moments of learning.

“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” ~ Henry Ford

On Wednesday, I missed a typo in my daily blog. I wrote viola, the musical instrument similar to the violin, instead of voila, the French word for suggesting an appearance as if by magic. Although they are different only by the transposition of two letters, they deliver a wildly different word and message. Mea culpa. My husband informed me of my mistake first, but it was after the email had been sent out. Then my friend, Bill, texted me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful they told me of my mistake, but it doesn’t make it any less painful.

“A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.”

When I make a mistake like that, I am reminded I am moving too quickly and I need to slow down. What mistake happened to you recently? Was it a work mistake or something you regret saying to friends or family? Mistakes shouldn’t be so heavy. Today I want to remind you that they happen to all of us, but we don’t need to carry it around like a heavy rock. Ask yourself, “What did I discover? What did I learn? How am I humbled?” Once you have those answers, you can release the weight of embarrassment and humiliation, and walk away lighter, knowing that you’re more evolved. Well done!

Let’s GO! WE GOT THIS!

Beth