I made a mistake. Actually, I have made so many mistakes in my life, and I expect the same from you.
We are human, not God, so we are susceptible to this nature.
I am not taking cover with this fact; instead, it is what it is. We are prone to make mistakes; it’s not possible to go without one, and if you try to do so, you’ll end up doing more.
Likewise, we’re prone to feel bad about making mistakes.
It’s in our nature, and because it’s not a socially acceptable trait, we simply cannot accept mistakes.
Why should we?
Well, accepting mistakes will help you find clarity; whereas staying the same will scare you and keep you from growing. Now, it’s up to you whether you want to grow or keep pretending to be the frog in the well.
Let’s try not to be.
“I made a mistake and I am feeling horrible,” The Underlying Factor Why We Feel Bad After Making a Mistake
Was it in a social gathering or a workplace? Was it personal or interpersonal?
Wait, you don’t have to answer these questions because feeling bad about making a mistake stems from one underlying factor, regardless of the environment or the relationship you had with your mistake: your desire to be liked by other people.
Yes, as soon as we make a mistake, our brain jumps to the conclusion of us being a fool.
And who loves or likes a fool? Nobody.
They are only there to make people laugh and give gossip to circulate.
People like to talk about them, make fun of them, and even do bad things to them, but nobody wants to be in their company.
Thinking about this makes us feel the twisting of the intestines in our stomach.
Within the proximity of our mistake, we imagine humiliation, feel isolation, and anticipate our end—all because of a mistake that doesn’t define us as a true human.
Think of your mistake, ask this question, and you’ll find the cast behind the curtain of a stage.
Furthermore, it’s not limited to people not liking us but also spotlights us not liking ourselves. For instance, you’re in a bad marriage.
Here, standing in front of your spouse, you’d say, “I made a terrible mistake by getting married.”
Why?
Why would someone say something like that when the union of two people doesn’t happen without careful consideration these days?
Well, it’s because marriage brings some sort of change to people.
And there, they don’t like what they have become by getting into the institution of marriage.
It feels like a mistake, and we already know how we feel when we make a mistake: Terrible, not likeable, and just a mistake ourselves.
How to Overcome Feeling Bad Emotion After the Mistake
Whether it’s a small mistake or a big one, you can always make a choice to recover from it.
If someone like Malcolm X could improve and make a positive impact after a conviction, then anyone can
So, here’s what you need to do.
1. Accept
Accept this notion that the reason you are feeling bad about your mistake is that you think that because of the mistake, people won’t like you or accept you in their company.
Accept this notion first and then the mistake as well.
2. Overcome the Shortcomings
Now, as you have accepted both the mistake and the underlying factor that caused you to feel bad about making a mistake, your task is to work on your shortcomings.
You can’t remain the same in order to not repeat the same mistake again and again. Yes, it will happen, but the intensity will be low.
3. Assess
Assess your background, and don’t compare yourself to others.
Sometimes, the mistakes we make happen in a situation where it feels very ashamed to make a mistake.
For instance, uttering a wrong word in front of fluent speakers.
We feel that now that we have made the mistake, they won’t accept us. They won’t like us. They would judge us whether we were up to their standards or not, and because we made a mistake, they wouldn’t like to have us.
However, if you step back and assess your cultural background, you’ll find that they would have made the same mistake if they were in your place.
Furthermore, based on one trait, don’t define yourself completely.
People, under their smiles, hide many dark sides, not one or two, but many.
4. Care About Yourself
Don’t care whether they like you or not.
Your life is not dependent on people’s opinions, so don’t make it sound different. What matters the most is that you showed up.
You didn’t succumb to your comfort zone, and that’s substantial in its own way.
Thus, don’t feel bad about yourself. Instead, give yourself a pat on the back that you tried, and by making a mistake, you learned something significant.
Have a little compassion, man 💜 you deserve it.
5. Just Go and Try Again
Every effort you put in reaps great fruits 🍑, and you can’t stop yourself because of a single or many mistakes.
You just have to move.
You just have to keep trying because there’s nothing more courageous than trying again when you are tasting the dirt and want to quit.
People don’t care, not at all, whether you quit or continue; however, by continuing, you pave paths for many like you to come forward and make this world a better place. Perhaps 1%, but it matters.
As Michael Jordan said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
So, try again and try everything, baby 😘
Nathawat Brothers
Putting thoughts for everyone