Hi there!
Mistakes? I’ve made a few. (Okay, so maybe much more than a few.)
I would love to blame all of my misdeeds on bipolar, but that wouldn’t be fair. While mental illness has inspired some doozies—I’m thinking of you, the $11,000 website I started and never sold a single product on—many were just plain poor decisions.
A few mistakes resulted from insecurities and a desire to have a partner.
I stayed with the narcissist long after I knew I should run. I moved in with my first roommate, even though I was well aware of his conniving pattern. And I dated several women simply because they displayed an interest in me. My unwise decision left each of them with a hurt heart and lots of resentment.
If I were to list the mistakes I’ve made in words I said, I would be writing for days. Mistakes are part of life.
“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”
- Will Rogers
Scott Ninneman also publishes the free All Things Bipolar Newsletter (off Substack). The Sunday email features the newest content about bipolar life.
We All Make Mistakes
Toxic society will tell you to never make mistakes.
They’ll advise you to pummel yourself for every mistake and to pursue perfection in every endeavor. But there’s value in mistakes, and I think that’s especially true when dealing with mental illness.
Early in my bipolar adventure, I believed I could taunt the disease. I knew the importance of rest, nutrition, and moderate exercise, but the necessities of proper care frequently got in the way of my wants, and I ignored what I knew I should do.
While I had a few productive nights—one time writing 15,000 words in 6 hours—every time I ignored what I should do, I paid a price. Each misstep taught me not to do it again.
Consequences can be outstanding teachers as long as you don’t do anything too stupid. But you often have to look for the lesson.
Learn the Lesson
I still make mistakes every day.
The smell of the Baconator hamburger wafting over from Wendy’s will sometimes pull me into the parking lot to buy the scrumptious sandwich. Hours later, I’ll spend hours rocking back and forth on the bed or the bathroom floor because it was too much for my already taxed belly to handle.
Lesson learned, but I’ll likely make the mistake again. I’m not the fastest learner with foods I like.
If you make mistakes, don’t beat yourself up. When you make a mess, clean it up. If you hurt a loved one’s feelings, apologize.
Mistakes are part of life. Looking back at them helps us grow. Learn your lesson and move on.
For today, spend some time thinking about your best mistakes. By best, I mean the ones that taught you the most valuable lessons. Use those lessons as your positivity for today.
What lessons have you learned from your mistakes? Please share your experiences in the comments.
Write It Out
Sometimes the best way to reflect on a mistake and its lesson is by journaling about it. Use these writing prompts to help you dive deeper.
Journal Prompt: What is the biggest mistake you ever made? What did it teach you? How can you keep from making a similar mistake?
Creative Writing Prompt: You are given the power to go back and fix one mistake. Which one will you choose? How would things change if you did things differently?
Until next time, keep fighting.
Scott Ninneman
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