“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” ~Elbert Hubbard.
Have you ever caught yourself avoiding to do something just because you fear that you are going to fail? If yes, you should think again next time you fall into that mind-trap. If you spend your life in fear of making mistakes, you will most definitely fail to enjoy it. If we go back in history, we can see that most successful and happy people have failed many times on the way to their dreams.
Without mistakes how will we realize what we should change about ourselves in order to improve? If most inventions and methods are improved through trial and error – not making mistakes would mean rarely improving.
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To give you a more clear view on the subject, we have made a list of 7 reasons why not making mistakes is the biggest mistake in life:
1. Making mistakes helps you understand that there are no regrets in life, only lessons.
We all dream of living our lives with no regrets but how many of us realize what this kind of lifestyle comes with? Well, it most certainly involves making mistakes. By trying different things and learning what doesn’t work for you or what you dislike, you are on the right path to discovering yourself. Otherwise, how can you know for sure what you love doing and how you want your life to be? The picture in our head of how our lives are supposed to be is not clear until we have experimented with different things which we have considered to be good for us.
2. Mistakes help us to face our fears
Many people have a fear of making mistakes or of trying new activities just because they think they are not good enough. But if you think about it, how can you get good in doing something if you don’t try? Robin Sharma says:”The expert in anything was once a beginner.”, and this is one of the most inspiring quotes I’ve ever read on this topic. If you are scared of something, the best thing to do is to do that thing. Facing your fears will only make you stronger and only by doing that you can overcome them, no matter how many times you fail before that. Freedom is on the other side of every fear.
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3. Mistakes are the way to success.
Most successful people got where they wanted to be in life with hard work and persistence. Often times, it has taken them years to reach their top. If you want to be successful you should be willing to try different things and it is highly possible that not everything will work out just as you have planned, there may be times when you will fail and times when you are going to achieve success. When you are failing this doesn’t necessarily mean you are on the wrong path. Failure is often times a part of the path to success and embracing your mistakes will only help you grow on your journey to reaching your goals.
4. Mistakes serve as a wake-up call.
Some mistakes don’t signal a route to success. Instead they serve as a wake-up call. Even a situation like when you go to a party and almost lose your job for not making it at work on time the next day, can be viewed as an experience you can learn from. Mistakes where we put our selfish desires before our responsibilities can mean trouble- but remember that they also serve as a warning. Take notice of these warnings and try to avoid making them again, so you can move forward and succeed in your journey.
5. Mistakes help you become a stronger person.
Oscar Wilde says: “Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.” Making a lot of mistakes gives you a better perspective in life. If your life hadn’t taken those turns or if you haven’t gone down those paths, you wouldn’t be the person you are today. Every experience in life can help you grow and become stronger than before. The secret is to look for the lessons behind your mistakes. If everything in life came easily, how would you appreciate the positive aspects of your life?
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6. Mistakes teach forgiveness.
If you recognize your own mistakes, it is more likely that you understand others’ mistakes when they happen- especially if they have directly affected you. Making mistakes is human and every person deserves a second chance to make things right.
7. Mistakes make us human.
One of the best things we can learn from our mistakes is the realization that making mistakes is human. The more you believe in that, the more empathy you have for others, no matter how different some people are from us. No matter what we have done wrong, it is highly possible that someone has already done it before.