Accepting Your Flaws and Mistakes

‘Nobody’s perfect’ is a phrase we hear a lot. It may even be a phrase we say a lot, but while it’s commonly repeated, this often does very little to make us feel any better when we just failed an exam or interview.

The solution is then to simply focus on our strengths rather than our weaknesses which will boost our confidence and help to make us more accomplished individuals all around.

You need then to come to terms with your flaws and mistakes and to move past them if you are going to avoid being defined by them.

Few things to consider:

View Mistakes as Lessons:

Whenever you make a mistake, this will have some negative consequences in the short term – maybe you failed exams, or perhaps you are left with no job, or your relationship on the rocks.

Unfortunately, to quote Shakespeare, “what’s done is done and cannot be undone”.

However, the trick is to learn from your mistakes and thus avoid making them again.

So instead of punishing yourself, just see this as something that will help you to grow more and think about how you can make sure you do better next time – whether it’s through training or simply avoiding making the same mistakes.

Know Your Flaws:

Knowing your flaws is not a weakness, but rather strength. All of us have flaws, but it’s only by recognizing them that we can account for them, better predict outcomes and work to improve them.

Denying flaws will only lead us to make the same mistakes time and again, and to appear oblivious to casual observers.

Turn Your Flaws Into Strengths:

So you have a big glaring fault that you wouldn't have chosen – big deal, so does everyone else! In order to move past this though and to work your flaws in your favour, you need to be able to look at them as strengths, or at least as part of the tapestry that makes you who you are.

Find Good Role Models:

Whatever your flaws and weaknesses are, there are people out there who have overcome them and succeeded anyway.

See Flaws as Challenges:

Life would be pretty boring if it came easily.Whatever problem you have that you feel is stopping you from becoming what you want to become should be seen as obstacles and must be dealt with accordingly.

If you are smart, if you are persistent, and if you have the right attitude, then you can triumph over adversity and your victory will be all the more impressive. And you may even provide a good example for someone else in a similar situation.

Know That Tastes Vary:

What you perceive as flaws is really only in the eye of the beholder and it’s perfectly possible that someone else might see them as what makes you attractive.

If you have a physical feature you’re not proud of, then you might still be someone else’s ideal of physical perfection.

Play to Your Strengths and Focus on What Matters:

So you’re terrible at meeting new people – does it really matter? So you don’t like your hair – again does it matter?

Know your strengths and weaknesses and then play to the strengths by emphasizing your best qualities and choosing careers etc where they are an important asset.

Find out what you think your role is in life, your purpose, and what brings you fulfillment.

Do What You Can to Change Things:

If you have made a serious mistake then there’s a chance of course that you can amend things. Before you go about coming to terms with what has been done, first go about trying to repair the damage and make things right.

So you failed your exam, is there any way you can take it again, or debate the results?

Maybe a mistake cannot be undone, but that doesn't mean necessarily that it may not yet be rectified.

Reflection:

You can make it to the top. You can overcome those challenges. God is with you. He is working on your flaws. There is nothing too hard for Him. Do your part and leave the rest to Him.