Owning Our Mistakes
By
Theresa Chaze


There is such a stigmata attached to making mistakes that many people are too afraid to own their errors in judgment. Everyone screws up. The key is what you do afterwards. Whether your actions were deliberate or accidental, you need to take responsibility for your behavior in order to make amends and to learn from the experience. The most valuable lessons in life will come from your failures, not from your successes; however, to deny your actions is to also deny the learning experience. There is an old saying--those that don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.


No one is perfect. Sometimes your decisions lead you to say or do things that you will regret. Afterwards, you afraid of admitting our errors because of the legal or social consequences. Sometimes it is simply the fear of disappointing a loved one that keeps us silent or forces us to lie. Yet by denying our actions, we only compound the blunder and add to the consequences. When we own our actions, we learn from them and are able to grow into a more responsible person. However, when we deny what we have done, we also deny the personal growth that would come from it and are more likely to repeat the misstep.


Yet the lesson is never complete until we make amends for the pain or embarrassment we cause others. It be as simple as an apology or as complex as financial compensation for pain and suffering. However, we can’t control if our apology will be accepted. In most cases, it will depend on how sincere it is and if the person was able to heal through the pain. Repetitive bad behavior only proves that you didn't learn from your past and discounts the creditability of you apology. There are just so many times you can say that you are sorry for the same mistake before people stop listening and withhold forgiveness.


Whether or not the act of contrition is accepted by the injured person, you need be open to the accepting the consequences of your actions. By stepping up to the plate, you not only prove you are ready to alter your behavior, but help the injured person heal.