19 Dumb Mistakes We've Made, But Now I'm Trying To Learn From Them | The Odyssey Online
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19 Dumb Mistakes We've Made, But Now I'm Trying To Learn From Them

“Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” ― L.M. Montgomery

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19 Dumb Mistakes We've Made, But Now I'm Trying To Learn From Them
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Life is too short to be worrying about things that other people say or do. For so long, I've been wanting to write about all the dumb things I have done throughout my life, however, that list would be very long. For this reason, I have chosen 19 items, which were the first that came to my mind.

While writing this list, I have realized that mistakes are very common among people; mistakes make us human. These mistakes have helped to grow as a person and to focus more on what really matters.

Many times, I have lost track of what my goals, perspective, thoughts, and opinions were because I was very busy trying to prove myself to others. As I grew older, I finally understood the purpose of mistakes. Mistakes make you wiser if you allow yourself to learn from them.

1. Always trying to be perfect.

Let's just face it, we all want to be the best of the best. However, perfection is something that does not exist. We are just wasting our time trying to strive for perfection when the only thing we should be doing is to just be ourselves. We all have flaws, and that's what makes us unique.

2. Depending on other people.

Many times, I have been guilty of waiting for others to do the hard work--not because I can't, but because I am afraid of taking responsibility. Some other times, I just get afraid of being by myself and try to have someone to go with me everywhere I go.

Sometimes, it is hard to realize that you are becoming an adult and have to take control of your life. Being independent, for sure, is something that gives you satisfaction and pride, but at the same time, it can be scary.

3. Not connecting with people because I don't trust them.

After years and years of trusting the wrong people, I came to a point in which I just decided to stop sharing everything that came to my mind. I became more reserved and more selective with people. However, that did not work either. Nowadays, I feel like it is very hard to find the right people because you will never know for sure if that person is genuine and can be trusted.

4. Caring too much about appearance.

Most people do it because we are predisposed to do that. But, sometimes it just takes up time that could be used for something more productive. Every day, I get surprised by the things that I see on social media. The standards imposed by society are just unattainable.

5. Only listening to the things I want to hear.

I have done this a lot, and what I have learned is that it does not make your problems go away.

6. Not knowing how to take good care of people.

I just suck at this!

7. Being indecisive and overthinking.

This is certainly my BIGGEST problem. I know I just have to stop thinking and stop replaying those failure scenarios. Sometimes overthinking can be more dangerous than acting impulsively.

8. Pretending I don't care.

Just so you know, when someone acts as if they don't care, that means they actually DO CARE. I definitely need to be more direct and clear in the future.

9. Being afraid of the unknown.

Everyone is, so just enjoy the ride because this is life.

10. Not crying.

I am not trying to act tough, nor am I trying to hide my weaknesses. My problem is that I have become too good at hiding my emotions that when I genuinely feel like crying, I can't. This is just not good. People see it as rude; they may say you have a stone heart, or that you are just not being empathetic. Just be honest and let the tears out.

For the record, I do cry a lot when someone says/does something very funny.

11. Forgiving but not forgetting.

I do forgive people but tend to not forget. However, if you don't forget, some resentment and bitterness are still there. That means you did not entirely forgive that person. This is just negative energy, you need to let it go.

12. Being afraid of being wrong.

I know I am not always going to be right, and this is why I try to prevent myself from making mistakes. Lots of thinking and planning. Now you can get a sense of my problem and why I have trouble sleeping at night.

13. Beingpessimistic.

I am always imagining the worst-case scenarios and thinking that everything I'll do will not end up well.

14. Not doing what I am passionate about.

I do regret this a lot. You know what they say though, it is never too late to do it. Everyone wants to do something that may sound crazy or impossible, but if you believe in yourself, then what could go wrong?

15. Procrastination.

This is just like a chronic problem that gets worse and worse as time goes by. If someone finds the cure, let me know ASAP.

16. Not paying attention.

Many would think that I am referring to not paying attention to class, which I certainly do, but no. I am referring to not paying enough attention to others. (By the way, I am not going to blame technology because it goes beyond that).

Thanks to Psych class, I have started to pay more attention to my surroundings. Well, I have noticed that people are way too obvious when they are begging for a bit of attention. Nevertheless, we are not good at reading these signs or body language.

17. Forgetting about important...

...Just forgetting about everything that is marked as "important" because we have some sort of "selective" memory.

18. Not being able to stay angry/mad for a decent amount of time

What can I say, I have a "Corazon de pollo." This is why many people don't take me seriously.

19. Not sharing.

By sharing I don't mean sharing material stuff. What I really mean is sharing what is in your mind and heart. It is very important to just talk to someone about your day or how you are feeling. Otherwise, your feelings get bottled up. Trust me, that's not good.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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