Old Essay

I was going through my old e-mail accounts and I found this essay I had to write a few years ago. It's really interesting to me because I have always been very critical of my writing abilities especially when reviewing old papers, but I actually really enjoyed reading this! 

Mistakes Define Us


Today, youth and adults alike strive for perfection. In this competitive world we are taught that only the best can succeed and anything less than that will fall short. However I disagree with this. It is my belief that the only way to excel is by experiencing mistakes and growing from them.
I don’t mean that I enjoy the lightening fast speed of which my stomach ties itself in a knot, nor the feverish symptoms that occur almost instantly when I’ve done something wrong. These are not the things that I’m talking about, it’s after it has past that I can look back and retrace my steps. Looking back on your mistakes is difficult, but realizing ways to avoid repeating it is worth the effort, even the mistake.
Working with customers has kept this belief with me and continues to prove itself time and again. Scooping ice cream daily may seem tedious and without room for mistake, but there definitely is. One afternoon my coworker and I were working a pretty slow day, when while we were helping a woman with a more expensive order, I accidently hit a button on the cash register, causing it to close up with no intention of ever opening again. After hitting every button on the register we could find we ended up just giving away the product. To add to my distress a rush came in immediately after this. I had no idea what to do, when a patient elderly woman suggested a button under the machine and it worked! The register came to life and we were able to serve anyone with no trouble. Since this discovery we’ve made the same mistake again, and being able to use my prior knowledge, it is no trouble to get back on track.
The woman’s patience helped me to feel calmer and less embarrassed about the situation. This taught me to feel compassion for those who are struggling and to show patience. If there is any way for me to help other people feel better about the problems they have, I will do it. This is another belief of mine: Be patient with others mistakes.
Many people become depressed and anxious when they make a mistake, they end up regretting most of their past. I believe in accepting that the past. The decisions I’ve made have led us up to this point and that I’m happy with who I am, so I don’t have any regrets about how I got here. I’ve made a lot of dumb decisions, but because I am able to look at them from a wiser point of view I am able to avoid repeating them.
Everyone on earth makes mistakes and I firmly believe that there is absolutely no sense on fretting long over them. Remembering that other people mess up too, helps me to feel better and get back on my feet. Also when I began to be more patient with others errors I became more comfortable learning from my own.