Zen and The Art of Mistake
Who Doesn't Make Mistakes?
I've made so many, you'd be surprised. "Life is filled with brilliance, mystery, and mistake." This motto applies to our decorating schemes too. The reason I don't get overwhelmed by the mistakes I've made is that at least I tried. There are a lot of people who never goof up, but they never take chances either. Safe decorating is boring. And the last place in the world that should be boring is our home. If it is, we have only ourselves to blame.
I've discovered over and over how something can be right for one person and all wrong for someone else. And so I've tried to look at mistakes differently—to understand them individually. A mistake is something that is off-target for you. On the positive side, when we make mistakes—and we always do—we learn a great deal about ourselves in the process. Most people who make a mistake try to pass the blame onto someone else. But whenever we try to do this, we never learn anything. I continuously reinforce my attitude that it is often better to bite the bullet, cut your losses, and move on. This might seem easier said than done, especially when money is involved.
We're All Trying to Paddle Upstream
Whatever you do, take pride in doing your own decorating, and don't be too hard on yourself. What we should remember is that we're all human. Who likes to mess up? Who likes to admit the mistake? After all, we're all trying to paddle upstream. We try, and we may err, but accepting that we're far from perfect ultimately brings us insight and understanding about ourselves.
I find that whenever I get off my path and try to be too sophisticated or fancy, I mess up. I'm most useful to myself and others when I stick close to the bones of everyday life, and I would urge you to do the same. What we experience at home on a typical day is the best way to understand what real life is like.
Mistakes come in all shapes and sizes and surprises, but when we are honestly ourselves, the mistakes will be ones we will be more willing to admit and accept. Perfect people don't make mistakes, but you and I do. It's okay.