Many of us cringe at the thought of making a mistake. Often, even silly  errors can bring us out of balance.

Perhaps, you didn’t perform as well as you had hoped during your work presentation today. you came home exhausted from office and, without meaning to, snapped at your husband. Moments later, a glass slipped from your hand while washing the dishes, shattering on the floor.

Not long ago, any of these would have flooded my body with unpleasant emotions. Guilt, shame and embarrassment took such a strong hold on me that I would feel overwhelmed for days afterwards. Often, I caught myself thinking:

“I should have prepared better for the presentation.”

“I should have handled my emotions better.”

“I should have been more careful whilst washing the dishes.” 

We all have moments like these, don’t we? Making mistakes is completely normal and natural. Why do we vilify them? Why do we expect perfection from ourselves? And yet, when loved ones make mistakes, we gladly forgive them.

Not long ago I was rewatching  Mr Bean’s Holiday. I am sure that you have seen it, but if you haven’t, the movie follows Mr. Bean on his journey to the south of France. His trip is filled with a series of comical and unfortunate events that make you feel both sympathy and embarrassment for him. Throughout the movie, I kept finding myself thinking, ‘How could he make such a mistake?’ or ‘What was he thinking?’ as Mr. Bean’s blunders became ever more outrageous.

But then, another thought swept over me. What if Mr Bean’s character was completely different? What if, instead of silly and awkward, he was smart and well composed? What if his journey to France went smoothly and as expected? Would I be sitting here now, watching the movie? Of course not! That would have been so boring! Watching it, would have been a waste of time.

And suddenly, I realised that life is exactly the same. Instantly, I saw Mr Bean’s Holiday as a condensed version of my live. Mr Bean is silly, clumsy and naïve but so am I, at times. And that’s exactly what makes life exciting, interesting and eventful. Therefore, instead of regretting my mistakes and berating myself for them, I should embrace and welcome the inevitable slip-ups. And so should you.

1. Everyone makes mistakes, nobody’s perfect.

Often, after a slip-up, we act as if we’re the only ones who ever make mistakes. We berate and bully ourselves with thoughts like, ‘How could I be so stupid, so awkward, so clumsy?’ And on and on it goes, the negative self-talk spiralling into harsh judgment and self-doubt.

But only if we stop for a second, take a deep breath, and instead of focusing solely on ourselves, we try to look outward.

Do you know anybody who is perfect? Anybody who’s never made a single mistake? I doubt you do. So why do you expect that from yourself?

Remember, whatever your slip-up is today, it will be forgotten by tomorrow. So, quickly forgive yourself and move on!

2. Regret, shame and embarrassment don’t have the power to undo mistakes.

I have come to realise that the emotions we feel, being they pleasant or unpleasant,  are simply messengers. The unpleasant ones, such as regret, shame and embarrassment simply let us know that we’ve gone off course somewhere so we can reflect and correct. 

Just like the sharp pain we feel when we accidentally touch a hot stove, regret signals that our actions have strayed from our beliefs and values. Same is valid for shame and embarrassment.

Imagine a life without these essential emotions. How would you recognise when you’ve strayed from your path? How would anyone else? The world would be filled with arrogance and an overwhelming sense of false confidence.

I wouldn’t like to live in such a world, would you?

3. Making mistakes and overcoming them makes us emotionally stronger

When we face setbacks, we learn to recognise our limitations and develop problem-solving skills. This not only boosts our resilience but also helps us see challenges as opportunities for growth. Studies show that those who learn from their mistakes tend to be more adaptable and confident in their abilities, which ultimately helps them handle life’s challenges better.

4. Going through mistakes and failures makes us wiser

As cliché as it might sound, mistakes and failures are the greatest teachers I’ve ever encountered. They are like stepping stones towards our goals.

Simply put, it’s not possible to achieve long-term success without incurring some setbacks on the way.

Look at it this way. Can you imagine, becoming a doctor without studying medicine? Without completing all the necessary lessons and exams? Fortunately, that’s not possible! Because if it was, you would put in danger all of your patients. You wouldn’t know how to examine them. You wouldn’t know how to treat them. And you wouldn’t know what guidance to give them.

This is also the case with failure and success..

Imagine you woke up one day and found out that you are the CEO of a big company. You know nothing about the company and you know nothing about being a CEO. You don’t know how to manage staff and how to manage the company’s operations.

How long do you think the company would last?

Not long I think.

The average lottery winner is a real life example of this phenomenon.

They acquire a lot of money overnight. Without actually spending the time to learn how to manage money and how to invest. Studies have found that only a couple of years later they end up in the same financial situation as before they won the lottery. If not worse.

 The more I learn about failure, the more I learn to appreciate these so-called setbacks in life. The more I learn to welcome them. And the easier it becomes to discover the lessons they serve to teach me.

5. Mistakes and failures make life interesting.

Without setbacks, life would be utterly boring. Have you ever asked yourself why people go bungee jumping? There’s significant risk involved, yet people pay good money to experience the adrenaline rush. You might think you’re not one of those thrill-seekers, but even simple activities, like riding a bike or trying something new, come with their own risks. It’s in these moments—when we push ourselves and face the possibility of failure—that we truly feel alive.