mistakes

day eight: today i am thankful for mistakes. a mistake at the cafe next to where i was working this morning meant a free chai latte for me! (whipped cream? you bet. cinnamon topping? oh. yes.)

i'm a person with a pretty strong fear of failure. i hate to mess up. i can literally make myself sick over stress. mistakes don't sit well with me.

so to benefit this morning from a mistake got me thinking. what if mistakes were opportunities i or someone around me would have otherwise missed? what if mistakes were moments for me to practice grace? what if mistakes were simply part of my human condition - therefore something to be expected - and also not something to put so much energy worrying about? what if, now that i expected them, i also pushed myself to learn from them?

i'm not condoning laziness or carelessness in responsibilities, but rather doing the best i can, striving to become better, and keeping my eyes open to how my mistakes might become opportunities.

mistakes don't have to act like a stopper. they can be chances to grow and flourish and learn something i wouldn't have if everything had gone according to plan. today i'm thankful for a simple mistake, for the warm beverage it gifted me, and the perspective it's helped me to see.