Here’s Why Mistakes Can be Good

It was one of those mornings. When I got out of bed I had spasms around my right hip and could barely walk.

I had to get to my office for a phone call appointment, but it was downstairs and I couldn’t get there because of the spasms.

Walking was hard enough, but stairs?? We had some workers coming over and I had to show them what to do, but wasn’t sure when they would be here.

I wanted to make an appointment with the chiropractor to work on the spasms but wasn’t sure when to make it because of the workers ... and so on.

I finally got to the chiropractor, who gave me some relief. Then I went to the McDonald's in Crestline, CA. It was 10:29, leaving me one minute before they stopped serving breakfast.

I ordered my usual Egg McMuffin and oatmeal for my wife, paid at the first window, and then waited at the second window.

She gave me a bag and I asked if my McMuffin was in the bag along with the oatmeal. She said it was.

When I got home there was no Egg McMuffin.

I snapped.

I had gone through too much pain and aggravation that day so I hobbled to the car and off I went to get my due. I imagined I would be greeted by a line person who would tell me that I could get something else but I would have to pay the 10-cent difference, or something stupid like that.

On the way, I got stuck behind someone going about 20 in a 45 mph zone and I couldn’t pass him, just adding to my aggravation.

When I finally arrived, I went directly to the drive-up window and was greeted by Alyssa. “May I help you?”

I was seething, which is really unusual for me. “I’m going to be as nice as I can be about this,” I said through clenched teeth.

“I just came here for an Egg McMuffin and oatmeal and when I got home all I had was oatmeal. So I had to come all the way back here and spend a half-hour of my life that I’ll never get back.”

She didn’t bat an eye. “I’m so sorry about that, but breakfast is over and I can’t make you another one.”

“I don’t think you have to make another one. They said the receipt would be in the bag and it wasn’t, so I figure that there is a bag around there somewhere with my McMuffin and the receipt.”

She looked around and came back. “I’m sorry, but there is no bag. We have several options. I can give you a refund, a free McMuffin the next time you come in, or you can have anything off the menu in exchange. In fact, I’ll give you the free McMuffin regardless. What would you like to do?”

I said, “Make it a Big Mac.”

She said, “I’m going to make it into a meal. What would you like for your drink?” And then she arranged for me to get my free sandwich the next time I came in there for breakfast.

I was shocked, and completely defused. I told her, “Everyone makes mistakes. What counts is the way you handle those mistakes. You get an A+”

She looked a bit concerned while I said that until I got to the "A+" I asked for her manager and told the manager what a gem that Alyssa was.

It occurred to me that this is true for all of us in all parts of our lives.

We are going to make mistakes. it’s inevitable.

You can’t judge people by those mistakes, what really counts is what they do about them once they are discovered.

Take the pressure off of yourself to be perfect, it’s not possible. All you can do is the best you can do.

If you do make a mistake, though, don’t get defensive or aggressive. Simply accept it and celebrate your humanity. Do the best you can to fix it, and that is all you can do.

So, you see, mistakes aren’t that bad, are they? They give you a chance to shine!

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Edited by Jody Smith

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• Emotional Health