Michael Thacker

Mistakes happen regardless of how much we may try to veer from manifesting them. Some are worse than others with some seeming so stupendous and bringing with it such harsh repercussions that the overall result being almost unbearable, if not impossible to deal with. How do we cope with mistakes and the repercussions thereof? How can one live life with regret etched deep within their very soul?

It is a difficult matter to address as there are so many variables that outlay each mistake both disastrously large and minuscule in effect. The primary factor in which to handle mistakes or regrets, is by accepting them and the repercussions. Taking responsibility for your actions can help set the stage for resolution. The more we blame others or deny responsibility, the more likely we are to dwell on the past and remain trap in the old mode of being. As difficult as it is to accept such agony, it is better to accept it as it is which will in turn help you move to the next stage; that is reflection.

Reflecting upon our mistakes after accepting them and the outcome is essential for personal growth. Taking a step back and viewing the situation from an outside perspective can help enlighten us to what initially caused the mistake and how to veer from manifesting them again in the future. Here you will come to better understand, not only what caused the mistake, but how to improve your overall mode of being as it will ultimately help you capitalize on other mistakes and areas of shortcoming as well.

The third stage of dealing with mistakes and regret is by focusing your attention on solutions rather than the mistakes themselves. After completing the reflection process, it is best then to move beyond the mistake itself and spend adequate time on how to better improve your quality of life beyond the mistake itself. This is not the same as not making the mistake again, but rather better understanding what avenues to embark on to improve your experience of life after mistakes. A great way to initiate this is by asking yourself the question, “What would help me move beyond the mistake into a new mode of being?”

To help you better understand the solution you will need to move to stage four, which overlaps with the prior stage, that is; visualization. By visualizing what your life would be like apart from the mistake, you can better understand what avenue is best to partake in. By projecting the ideal within your mind, you can then see what is the best approach to moving forward in your life as well as ways of initiation. Seeing your life beyond the mistake can help it become more of a reality, which in turn helps you to move into action.

Moving beyond the visualization stage is done by articulating the ideal, both verbally and in written form. Once you begin to articulate the ideal goal, it then comes from within your mind going forth in the physical world. This stage helps initiate the manifestation of your new reality and mode of being beyond the mistake. Writing it down helps as well as you see the words in physical form, which then helps your mind believe it to be more real than just its conceptualized origin.

The final stage is twofold consisting both of action and mindfulness, wherein you put the ideal into action and forget the negative past mistake. Here you will engage with the original conceptualization, making it a reality to be maneuvered and directed the way in which best fits your agenda. The more real the ideal becomes, the more you can move beyond the mistake. While you are in the mode of action, you must also practice mindfulness to better execute the action necessary to achieve the ideal. Focusing on the moment at hand and forgetting the past all while projecting yourself into the future ideal is crucial to moving beyond the mistake and accomplishing what you have set out to do.  

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:12-14 nkjv

Now is all we have as the past is forever extended behind us and the future is the realm of the unknown which is set to be manifested according to what we focus our attention on. The more you focus on the past mistake, the more you will inhabit that reality. But, the more you focus your energy on the moment while shooting for the ideal future, the more it will become a reality to be contended with.     

-Michael Thacker