Why Should Mistakes be Celebrated

We are taught at work and in society to celebrate our successes. We get promotions, recognition, and rewards for doing great work. What about getting the same award for taking risks and failing? Most of us, at a young age, are taught to feel bad about ourselves when making a mistake. Mistakes are wrong, and they translate to we are flawed. But, without errors, we can't learn and grow. Mistakes are incredible because they make us grow, develop, and become great human beings. Would you rather be around someone who acts like they are perfect and "they have it all together" or who admits their mistakes and is constantly learning and growing?

FAILURE IS NOT JUST ACCEPTABLE; IT'S OFTEN ESSENTIAL - RANDY PAUSCH

Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Melon, died of Pancreatic Cancer in 2008. His story touched millions of people, including myself. I remember reading his book, The Last Lecture, which spoke of rewarding his students who took the most risk and didn't get the results they wanted from their projects. Who rewards losers? He made it easy to talk about losing; he encouraged us to take risks and at least try. If you value learning and improving, then embrace mistakes. It makes our relationships more open, radically honest, and vulnerable.

BE ENCOURAGED BY THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE

Be encouraged by the mistakes you make! Celebrate them! Cherish the moments. You are capable of learning and growing because you have shown that over and over again!

WAYS TO CELEBRATE YOUR MISTAKES

1. Go out to dinner and a movie with a close friend

2. Do something adventurous that you have never done before

3. Buy a plant and give it a name related to your mistake

4. Buy something nice for yourself

5. Go on a trip for a weekend

Question: What mistake did you make recently, and how will you celebrate it?