Mistakes

Hey All!  Hope you had a great July 4th!

Even on our best day, we can still make mistakes.  And even if you trust someone completely, they might make a mistake too.  However, there are ways of dealing with them.

(1)  DID YOU MAKE A MISTAKE?  Try reacting this way:

  (A)  Remember that this is an opportunity to think outside the box in ways you would not have been able to if you were "perfect."
  (B)  Knowing this, fix it.
  (C)  Unless there is a matter of life or death, any mistake can be fixed, or at least mitigated.  Just think, and the idea will come to you.
  (D)  Accept responsibility for it and move on from it.

(2)  DID SOMEONE ELSE MAKE A MISTAKE?  Do this:

   (A)  Help them fix it if you can.
   (B)  Explain what can be done to avoid it in the future.

NOWHERE IS THERE AN ADMONITION TO BEAT YOURSELF UP OR FALL ON YOUR SWORD WHEN YOU'RE WRONG.  There is a difference between a humble apology and making a self-effacing, self-loathing, pathetic spectacle of yourself.  Nobody respects people who burst into tears like Jimmy Swaggart admitting he "sinned."  The amount of penitence and atonement you demonstrate should be embodied in your remedial efforts, and should be emphasized to the extent that they overshadow your strengths.

NEITHER IS THERE A DIRECTION TO BREAK SOMEONE ELSE DOWN IF IT'S THEIR FAULT.   That is strictly the province of predators and alpholes.  Far too many people look for a chance to point fingers, laugh at someone's errors, or convince someone that this mistake renders them unrespectable.  We're better than that.

As Bold Betas, we are often sidelined by others' reactions to our mistakes.  Not only is this a painful experience, but it also leads us to believe that it is acceptable to abuse someone else who has made a mistake.  This can only bring us down the path of the alpholes, who think nothing of ripping people apart because they're "only being honest."  Odds are more than likely that they do not demonstrate such honesty with their own shortcomings.

Follow these simple steps, and you'll prevent yourself from following their example.  You'll gain both experience and respect.

I EXIST.  I MATTER.  I BELONG.  I DESERVE.

I AM BOLD.  I AM BULLETPROOF.  I AM ME.