Living With Mistakes

(Photo courtesy: graphicstock.com)

Mistakes happen. It's inevitable. If we were to look at our lives and think we have lived flawlessly, we would be mistaken.

I have heard people say, "You've made your bed, now lie in it." Which, in itself, is a confusing statement because when you make your bed, you leave it alone. I think it should be something like: "You messed up your bed, now lie in it." A made bed is nice, a messed up bed is, well, messed up.

We all have messed up our beds in life and we had to lie in it. However, some of us get wrapped up in the blankets and never get out out of the mess.

Why?


Is it possible we put too much pressure on ourselves to live flawlessly, that when we make a mistake we can't handle it? It messes up our ego. It collapses our self-perception. It hinders our ability to move forward.

Perhaps, it's because we failed to be honest with ourselves from the very beginning? Maybe, we have built this image of ourself that has allowed us to forget our humanity?

The messed up bed is a better analogy in my opinion, for several reasons, but the main reason is this:

A MESSED UP BED REVEALS EVERYTHING!!

A messed up bed reveals everything! That's right, all the wrinkles in the sheets are seen. The fact that you might have moved so much your sheets are pulled out of the corner. Or, if you're like me, you might find your pajamas stuffed under your pillow or your side of the bed.

Just like a messed up bed, mistakes will happen. They aren't pretty.

Another aspect of the messed up bed is it reveals what needs to be fixed. You can cover everything, but you know how bad it is under those sheets. You need to fix the corners. You need to fluff the pillows. You need to straighten the crinkles.

When you recognize a mistake; own it. Look at every aspect of it and fix what you can. A mistake and a messed up bed cannot be undone completely, especially if you have let it sit for awhile.

However, it can be straightened out and can look nice in the end.

When we make a mistake, we can't allow ourselves to get wrapped up in it. We can't allow it to tear us apart. We need to get out of it, clean it up, and allow ourselves to relax while moving forward.

Living with the mistake and owning it might just let us sleep better anyway.