then you make a mistake
if there's one thing I'm not good at, it's dealing with the feeling of failure. let's be honest, no one likes to fail or make mistakes, but it's something that can happen to any of us, anywhere, at any time.
I've been working on the skill of "looking on the bright side" and seeing mistakes as lessons, and I'm definitely better at it than I was four or five years ago, but from time to time when something goes wrong, I still find myself in a bad place.
I'm not trying to be an emo kid here and vent all my angsty feelings to the world, but I want to talk about that infuriating frustration you feel when, for example, you let something tiny slip by and your boss points it out like, "hey, this thing is right there. anyone can see it. didn't you notice?" and out of nowhere your face turns red. in that exact moment, I wish I were an ostrich so I could just bury my head in the ground for a while.
something that no one tells you is that even when you've been doing the same thing for years and have achieved a god-like level of confidence, you're actually still just a normal person and definitely not bulletproof or fail-proof.
and this is where I think we get lost. the internet is full of "role models" and productivity gurus telling you to embrace every mistake, to instantly see every failure as some beautiful lesson. to be grateful for the opportunity to grow. and if you're just pissed off for a while? well, then you're weak, you don't have the right "mindset." I honestly believe that's just bullshit.
feeling angry or frustrated when you fail isn't a sign of weakness. in my opinion, it's a sign that you care. you feel bad because you wanted to do good work, because you have high standards for yourself. that sting comes from the fact that you take what you do seriously, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. forcing a smile and saying "what a wonderful lesson!" five minutes after messing up isn't being strong; it's being fake.
so, this isn't a post with "five tips on how to learn from your mistakes." it's just a reminder. it's okay to feel like crap when you mess up. it's okay to be mad that you're not perfect. it doesn't make you weak, it makes you human. the real strength is in feeling all of that, and eventually, getting up and trying again. not in pretending it didn't hurt.
take your time to digest your mistakes. maybe they become fuel, maybe they don't. but above all, try to enjoy the ride. this is a human life, after all.