What actually is a mistake?
A mistake is to express something which is less than what I am capable of being and expressing. I may be practising being calm, peaceful, happy or stable for example and I react to something and get angry, in this context that would be counted as a mistake.
When we make a mistake we tend to say: “Oh no, I’ve made a mistake. What shall I do? What will this person say? What will they do? What’s going to happen?” I start worrying about the mistake and ask a whole list of questions. We make our one mistake so much worse in our own consciousness and build up a state of fear, anxiety, pressure.
To thrive?
To thrive is to take responsibility for the mistake, the results can be surprising. Once someone was working as a motorcycle courier. A job came up to deliver some art work… and it fell off the bike! Going back the rider found the art work scattered around the road and covered in lots of tyre marks. You can imagine how the conversation in his mind began… However this rider had just read a book which said, if anything happens- take responsibility for it and you will remain in charge. So he collected up all the pieces and delivered them in their tattered states attaching a note to every package saying: Sorry for the state of this delivery, I am responsible. Arriving back at the office he entered very sheepishly, his manager spotted him though and came up to him. He said “Are you alright? Since 9 all I’ve had is concerned phone calls from the clients about you.” The rider explained what had happened and his manager said “Well it has created a great deal of goodwill which was not there previously, and anyway everything it just copies.”
All the stories may not end so easily, but if when I make a mistake I accept it and take responsibility I remain I in charge of my own self. Otherwise it is like you are giving all your power away, to the event and the people affected.
