My art teacher Mrs. Sue Williams
imprinted on me
a magical phrase
she would often say.
Across the class with a smile,
she would shout:
“We don’t make mistakes,
we make them part of our design.”
and ever since those lines
I’ve learned to hold a bit of grace
for my art — and for my life
because truth is,
I make mistakes
all the time.
And if you ask
they have formed and fashion
my peculiar life’s path.
They have made all the difference
on this road not taken,
filled with odd steps;
with each trod
taking me on to the next.
And each misstep, every slip
Yes, I count as a blessing;
as if it’s an impromptu
dance lesson.
Making sure to find the beat
before tuning into the lie
or confusion of —
“F*ck, I messed up again,” or the delusion of
“I’m I good enough?”
You see,
I’ve learned to objectively reflect on my actions
and lead with love
in a simple question:
“Marcus, if a friend made the same mistake
what would you say?”
And I answer myself with a question,
“How will you make this
part of your design today?”
And if you don’t recognize
the lesson that time,
Don’t worry. It wont be your demise.
Rather, you’ll keep making
the same mistake until you realize.
And you will,
eventually —
in time.
Yet until then,
take an art teacher’s well spoken lines —
continue to live, to love, and to learn
And turn these seemingly
‘faults’ and ‘failures’
into a fulfilled life
full of mistakes,
intentionally
designed.
When challenges arise, for many, the default thought is to see them as hindrances.
However, for a more joyous experience, we must learn to shift our perspective and view these challenges as opportunities for growth.
This can help us turn our mistakes into part of our life’s design.
Instead of seeing the challenge as an obstacle, we can look at it as a stepping stone that leads us closer to our goals.
By taking the time to reflect on our mistakes and understand why they happened in the first place, we can begin to learn from them and use them to inform how we approach similar situations in the future.
That’s what we do as humans, we use knowledge to create strategies that will help us anticipate potential problems.
Additionally, by understanding how our mistakes have shaped us, we can start to appreciate their value in helping us grow and evolve. That’s added value we were even expecting.
Ultimately, learning to hold an empowering perspective when challenges arise is essential for growth and development.
By looking at these seemingly setbacks with a proper attitude and using them as part of our design, we can turn mistakes into valuable lessons that will help us reach new heights.