Oops! Oh no! My bad! How we hate to say or hear those words. How we loathe to fail. How we dislike to make mistakes. But they happen so often. They occur no matter how hard we try. We all seem so prone to make them. How can we make the best of them?

Mistakes are positive, valuable occurrences. They make it easier to make decisions in the future. They let you know what works and what doesn’t work. By trying possible solutions and taking risks, you find out, eventually, what will be the answer, but not without many, many failures along the way.

You cannot, however, be overwhelmed by your mistakes. Analyze them and be responsible for them, so you are less likely to repeat the same ones but don’t be paralyzed by them. Always be willing to get up from every failure. Always be willing to take a risk again. Always be willing to try one more time.

Each failure is valuable information. Each failure is a possible resolution that never has to be tried again. Each failure is a road that never has to be taken because we know the answer is not there. That is knowledge and wisdom.

Mistakes can build self-confidence by requiring you to take risks. If you are not making any mistakes, you are not trying. You are not really living.

Dealing with failure means you are stepping out of your comfort zone – out into the unknown where only failure and success are possible. Staying comfortable and safe means you will have no failure but neither will you have any success.

Dealing with failure means you are brave and strong. It means you have the ability to learn and grow from those errors. Everything changes after a mistake – make it a positive change.

Every mistake is a learning opportunity – a moment of growth. Very seldom do we become better people during the easy times in our lives but we can make great strides during the tough times. Those are the times of self-analysis and self-reflection. Mistakes definitely help set boundaries for us.

Being open about your mistakes keeps you honest and humble. Your sense of integrity is improved when you take responsibility for your errors and look for ways to correct them. It’s not the mistake itself, it’s how you deal with it that shows your character.

Mistakes can allow you to inspire others. Any mistake and lesson you learn can be taught to another person. It can be a very moving and personal moment to help someone avert making the same error as you. In fact, it is your job to pass this knowledge onto the next generations.

Mistakes add so much to our lives. Embrace them. Learn from them. Share them. Keep making them.