Stop Being Afraid to Make Mistakes

You are more powerful than you can imagine. Things are easier than you think. We all spend too much time worrying about making mistakes or making a fool out of ourselves.

Women especially concern themselves with how our choices affect others rather than considering what will happen if we don't choose ourselves. Remember, we are here for only a short time, and when it's done, that's it, at least for this lifetime. Are you living with regret? Are you trying to find something that is perfect rather than just trying to find something for fun?

Last week, I did something that I never expected myself to do. I purchased some oil pastels. Anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy singing and creating in other ways, but the visual arts were never something I felt I was good at. Well, I decided to purchase oil pastels and a small notebook. I took the colors out of the box very carefully and chose the colors I thought would look good. I used the pastel on the paper in a VERY crude way. I felt very awkward, but eventually, I just let the process take over rather than forcing something to look good. For my first attempt, there were a LOT of things I would change, but I did it anyway.

If you've been with me for a while, you'll know that I often say, "May you find love, joy, peace, and happiness in all you do today." And that's exactly what I did. I found that I loved coloring with the pastels. It gave me great joy in picking out just the right shades to blend. It was peaceful to just relax and create. I felt like a little kid with so much happiness. Sure, it was messy, isn't that what life is, too? But I didn't let myself overthink about making mistakes or making a mess; I just created something that was fun. Isn't that what life is all about anyway?

Making mistakes is what makes us learn. Hell, it's what makes us live our lives. We must learn that making messy art, learning to color outside the lines, and being ourselves is all we ever want for our kids, but we neglect the kid in us that needs permission to be a bit messy and color outside the lines, too. So here is your cue to color outside the lines, get messy, and just be the amazing human that you are without an apology and without fear.

May you find love, joy, peace, and happiness in all you do today.