What To Do When You Realize You Have Been Wrong Everybody makes mistakes. Some are not very big. Others are catastrophic. No matter what kind of mistake you have made, when you realize it you must take steps to mend it. If it is a huge mistake, you may not be able to make it right, but you can at least take steps to correct the error and move in a new direction. In this article we will discuss ways to right the errors you have made and move on with your life.
Children are often taught that making mistakes is bad and affects their quality as a person. This is really a terrible lesson to learn. Remember not to tie your self image and self worth up in your mistake. Most people learn through life that mistakes offer great opportunities for growth. Often a mistake opens doors you did not know existed, so even if your mistake is awful, look for the value that lies buried somewhere within it and try to learn whatever lesson your mistake brings you.
Be careful not to allow the fear of mistakes to paralyze you. Avoiding doing anything for fear of making a mistake is a mistake in itself. When you are afraid of making mistakes or afraid of having your mistakes known, you cannot live freely. It is best to try your hardest, recognize your mistakes, forgive yourself for them, take steps to correct them and then simply move on. Strive to feel stronger from your experience rather than allowing yourself to be battered down.
If you have children, be sure to let them know that it is alright to make some mistakes as long as they genuinely try to do as well as they can. Instead of lecturing or judging, help your child determine what has happened and why it happened. Help your child explore his or her feelings about the situation and think of ways to behave and/or choose differently if the situation arises again. Help your child accept responsibility if it is due and recognize how difficult that action truly is.
In your children and in yourself, be just as observant about the things that are done right as you are about the mistakes. Very often, we are quick to blame and slow to praise, but it should really be the other way around. Sometimes it helps to keep an actual plus/minus list of accomplishments and actions for each day. At the end of the day, total up all you and/or your child have done in the day. You are sure to have made some mistakes, but you have probably gotten more right than wrong.
Learn how to make an appropriate apology and teach your children to do the same. You do not want to spend your life stumbling all over yourself apologizing; however, when an apology is due another because of your actions, learn to identify your error, acknowledge the feelings of the other person, provide a brief explanation and offer to fix the problem if you can. End by assuring the person you will be careful not to repeat your mistake in the future. It takes a mature person to recognize, admit and attempt to right a mistake.
