An open letter to anyone who's made a mistake | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

An open letter to anyone who's made a mistake

& why i encourage you to let them go

2308
An open letter to anyone who's made a mistake
http://www.neverendingvoyage.com

We’ve all done it.

We call it different things, Mistake. Human error. Fault. Wrongdoing. The list goes on and on.

But what is it? According to Dictionary.com , a mistake is an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc, but to many of us, it is so much more.

In the moment, it all seems too easy and so tempting. It feels like the perfect decision, and even if it doesn't, it still feels too sweet to refuse.

But it is afterwards where we feel the aftermath, the pain and the consequences.

We’ve tried forgetting, saying it won’t happen again or blaming the situation on something else.

But in the end, truth is inevitable.

No matter how big or small, there is a time where everyone has made the wrong choice.

Growing up, I’ve been instilled with good morals and always taught to make the right choices. An ounce of discipline saves a ton of regret, i was told. But I can guarantee that it's easier said than done.

Don't be MISTAKEn, not all of our faults are wrong. But if you’re hurting and broken and can’t seem to let go of the past, I want you to know that it is not the end of the world.

I know how you feel, because I’ve been there too.

I know how it feels being regretful and wanting to give up.

I know how it aches when you think you will never recover from the hole you’ve been pushed in, so instead you stay there or fall deeper.

I know how it feels lurking in the shadows of your past, and never being able to move forward.

I know how it hurts when you’re losing sleep at night because you’re up thinking of the “what ifs” and “If only I”, and then losing your focus in the morning because your misdoing is all you can ever think about.

But can we ever truly be done with our mistakes until we move on? Think of it as a learning experience. Because in the end, that's all it can truly be. Learn from it, move on, and don’t do it again. Do you think we wake up every morning, plan all the mistakes we are going to do,and do them throughout our day? Of course not. That's what makes it just a mistake.

In the words of George Bernard shaw,‘ We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.

So own your future, live in the present, and know what's passed is past.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
girl with a hat

This is for the girls who have dealt with an emotionally, mentally, physically or verbally abusive father.

The ones who have grown up with a false lens of what love is and how relationships should be. The ones who have cried themselves to sleep wondering why he hurts you and your family so much. This is for all the girls who fall in love with broken boys that carry baggage bigger than their own, thinking it's their job to heal them because you watched your mother do the same.

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf Quote
"DESTINY IS FOR LOSERS. IT'S JUST A STUPID EXCUSE TO WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM HAPPEN." - BLAIR WALDORF.

The world stopped in 2012 when our beloved show "Gossip Girl" ended. For six straight years, we would all tune in every Monday at 9:00 p.m. to see Upper Eastside royalty in the form of a Burberry headband clad Blair Waldorf. Blair was the big sister that we all loved to hate. How could we ever forget the epic showdowns between her and her frenemy Serena Van Der Woodsen? Or the time she banished Georgina Sparks to a Christian summer camp? How about that time when she and her girls took down Bart Bass? Blair is life. She's taught us how to dress, how to be ambitious, and most importantly, how to throw the perfect shade.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

11 Moments Every College Freshman Has Experienced

Because we made it, and because high school seniors deserve to know what they're getting themselves into

313
too tired to care

We've all been there. From move-in day to the first finals week in college, your first term is an adventure from start to finish. In honor of college decisions coming out recently, I want to recap some of the most common experiences college freshmen experience.

1. The awkward hellos on move-in day.

You're moving your stuff onto your floor, and you will encounter people you don't know yet in the hallway. They live on your floor, so you'll awkwardly smile and maybe introduce yourself. As you walk away, you will wonder if they will ever speak to you again, but don't worry, there's a good chance that you will make some great friends on your floor!

Keep Reading...Show less
laptop
Unsplash

The college years are a time for personal growth and success. Everyone comes in with expectations about how their life is supposed to turn out and envision the future. We all freak out when things don't go exactly as planned or when our expectations are unmet. As time goes on, we realize that the uncertainty of college is what makes it great. Here are some helpful reminders about life in college.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Lessons I Learned My Freshman Year

The first year of college opens your eyes to so many new experiences.

45
johnson hall
Samantha Sigsworth

Recently I completed my freshman year of college, and boy, what an experience. It was a completely new learning environment and I can't believe how much I learned. In an effort to save time, here are the ten biggest lessons I learned from my first year of college.

1. Everyone is in the same boat

For me, the scariest part of starting school was that I was alone, that I wouldn't be able to make any friends and that I would stick out. Despite being told time and time again that everyone had these same feelings, it didn't really click until the first day when I saw all the other freshman looking as uneasy and uncomfortable as me. Therefore, I cannot stress this enough, everyone is feeling as nervous as you.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments