As a youngster, I listened to rugby broadcasts with my dad on Saturday afternoons. Those were the days before television. He listened to the radio with undivided attention, while I was usually doing something else. At some stage I remarked that it sounds as though the players are making a lot of mistakes, aren’t they? He wisely answered that it was only the people on the field who makes mistakes, while the crowd makes noise.
Life is much like rugby. Life is like a team sport and you can’t do everything alone. At one point in your life, you may regret certain decisions. Mistakes, challenges, and finding solutions are just part of life.
You can learn from your mistakes.
We all have to learn to cope with failure as well as success. It is better to make a mistake because you’re trying rather than always be on the safe side and never find out what the extent of your capabilities is. You learn and grow whenever you stumble and fall. You also learn how to get up and avoid making the same mistake as you go along.
So when you made a mistake, pull yourself together and just remember that it’s all part of your life’s experience and it is a part of success. One way to pull yourself together is to nurture perspective and wellbeing.
Here are a few tips on nurturing perspective and wellbeing.
Don’t discount your feelings of sadness, anger, and fear, or judge yourself for feeling bad.
Acknowledge and create space for your feelings and remind yourself of helpful truths such as:
- You are precious.
- You can take responsibility for your mistake and learn from the experience.
- Your mistake is a temporary setback or challenge; it is not the end of the world.
- This too shall pass and things will get better.
- You have faced challenges before and got through those rough times. Remind yourself of past successes and other times when setbacks and unwanted changes have resulted in new and valuable opportunities.
- You have options and resources. Look at your strengths and resources—savings, friends and family, professional connections, valuable experience, education, language skills and so forth.
- You have people in your life who care about you.
- You will find that you have so much to be thankful for by looking at everything good in your life and find things to be grateful for.
- You can ask for help and guidance.
Your mistakes don’t mean that you are doomed, because there is always hope. Your mistakes are proof that you are trying, while your efforts to correct your mistakes are proof that you are growing.
This article is written by Dr Barbara Louw for the Wellness4Wholeness weekly blog. You can find the blog or make an appointment with Dr Louw on www.aquillasa.co.za.