Yeah, messing up stinks.

It’s like, you want one thing, but somehow, you get something totally different.

Ever wanted coffee, but accidentally hit the wrong button and got soup instead?

Or wanted to ace an interview, but your mind went blank and you sounded like a doofus?

That’s what I’m talking about.

No big deal, really, just kinda embarrassing.

But who likes feeling like a fool?

Here’s the thing, though: even in those cringe-worthy moments, there’s a silver lining.

Your slip-up actually tells you a few things:

  1. You’re not perfect.
  2. You’re not stupid.
  3. You’re not boring.

#1 You’re Not Perfect

It’s actually a good thing to be imperfect.

Imagine if you were perfect – you might be insufferable!

You’d never know what it’s like to be silly or mess up.

Life would be too picture-perfect, and you might even become a bit conceited.

Your mistakes show that you’re human, not a robot.

Speaking of mistakes, here’s a funny story: I once tried to assemble a barbecue grill in front of my friends. You know those things with a million different parts and confusing instructions? Well, let’s just say I put a few pieces on backward and ended up with a grill that looked more like modern art.

I remember thinking, “I’m such an idiot! I can’t even put together a simple grill.”

Looking back, I’d tell my younger self: “You’re not perfect. But you already know that, so that’s not the issue. The problem is you think everyone else is perfect, and you’re not measuring up.”

This leads to feeling like there’s something fundamentally wrong with you.

And social anxiety is often about trying to be perfect to compensate for this perceived flaw.

But what if you are flawed?

Is that really so bad?

Embarrassment is there for a reason – it keeps us humble.

Sometimes, it’s okay to just be human.

#2 You’re Not Dumb

We have a weird idea about failure: it’s bad, but learning is good.

Learning is fun when it goes smoothly, but when we fail, why does it suddenly become so embarrassing?

My theory?

We’ve come to believe that MISTAKE = DUMBNESS.

We say things like “You should have known better,” shaming people for not having the knowledge already.

If you try cooking and fail, or flunk a test, you might think, “I’m just not cut out for this. I’m too dumb.”

Even with a silly mistake like the bubble tea incident, you might think, “Everyone else knows how to use a straw! I must be the only one who struggles with this basic skill.”

But we’ve got it backward.

A mistake makes you smarter, not dumber.

How could you have “known better” before?

Your past self had no idea.

You hadn’t experienced what you’re experiencing now.

Sure, you might feel foolish at the moment, but by the next day, you’re wiser.

Your “mistake” is now a lesson learned, so you can only improve from here.

You’ll do better next time because it can’t get worse than yesterday.

In a way, you might have even saved your future self from trouble!

#3 You’re Not Boring

You might feel like the biggest goofball on the planet, but trust me: someone out there probably thinks you’re hilarious.

It’s like watching a sitcom, right?

You laugh at the character who shows up to a date with their shirt on backward.

You think, “I’d never do that!” But that’s because you’re not them.

You’re seeing it from the outside.

But when it’s you, it’s different.

“Why does this always happen to me?” you might wonder.

Here’s the thing, though: If you look at your silly mistake from someone else’s perspective, you might see it in a different light.

Maybe what you hate about yourself is actually kind of charming.

We like clumsy characters because we can relate to them.

We often think of heroes as perfect, always knowing what to do. But if they knew everything, there’d be no room for growth or change. They’d be boring.

What if life was a sitcom?

Maybe you’re just the character who had to make that funny mistake.

Give it a few years, and you might even have a good story to tell.

Next Time You Fail: That Can Happen

If it’s okay to pat yourself on the back when you do well, then it’s perfectly fine to give yourself a little hug when things don’t go as planned.

Deep down, you probably wish someone would just say, “Hey, it’s okay. These things happen.”

So here it is: You’re not a machine.

Your silly mistakes remind you that you’re human.

The good news is, you can either learn from them, laugh about them, or both!

Maybe someday you’ll even write a book about it.

And with a smile, you’ll end it by saying:

“Ahh…I guess I took it all way too seriously.”

Categorized in:

Personal Development