Why Making Mistakes Has Been Good for Me

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For me, one of the most challenging verses in the Bible is James 2:13: "...judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.  Mercy triumphs over judgment."  That verse stings because I find it difficult to show mercy towards others who have done wrong, even if their mishap was not on purpose.

You see, I pay attention to detail. I am somewhat organized. I do not procrastinate. I pay attention. And because I possess these traits, I get frustrated with others who are lacking in these areas, because it causes them to make mistakes. "Stupid mistakes," I say to myself; "mistakes that could have been avoided if only they had paid attention, not procrastinated, and looked at every detail."

Therefore, I find it embarrassing that over the past few months, I have been making  a number of mistakes.  Not life-changing mistakes, but stupid mistakes. The mistake of purchasing something without reading the fine print (however actually it wasn't "fine print" at all, but very legible).   The mistake of overlooking something important for a customer because I was in too much of a hurry.  The mistake of forgetting to follow up with someone when I supposed to do so.

I chastise myself every time I make one of these mistakes, but to my surprise, I'm learning that the recipients of my mistakes have been very forgiving. Much more forgiving than I would have been as the recipient.  People have been kind and understanding, and it has been humbling when I think of how merciless I have been in the past.

I am learning that just as I feel horrible and stupid when I make mistakes, others must feel the same way when it happens to them, and the last thing they need is someone chastising them. What they need is the recipient of their mistake to kindly overlook the mishap.  I am learning that just because someone makes a mistake, it doesn't mean they are inept, disorganized, or ineffective at their profession--it just means they aren't perfect.  I am learning that as I kindly forgive minor offenses, those same people are much more likely to forgive my offenses when I mess up.  Lastly, I am learning that it's not a matter of "if I mess up", but "when I mess up", and most of all, I need to not be so hard on myself.  

As writer Elbert Hubbard states, "Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day.  Wisdom consists in not exceeding that limit."

If you can identify, I'd love to hear your comments!