Today, you are either working on a mess or a masterpiece. Both of these outcomes start with mistakes. So what’s the real difference? I submit that messes are mistakes you never bother to clean up. But masterpieces can be built from both successes and the mistakes you’ve put right. After all, isn’t a “masterpiece” usually the result of numerous attempts at a goal worth reaching? We all make mistakes in life. What will you do with them?
Hate making mistakes?
ME TOO! It can be so painful. But if you’re willing to make mistakes today, you’ll find it’s one of the most effective ways to build something truly masterful.
Recently, we talked about building a legacy with blueprints you can trust. It’s important to work from a reliable plan and have proven examples for the best outcomes. But even then, mistakes are going to happen. It’s what you do with your mistakes in life that matters most.
Working on a mess? You can change that.
We often talk about the art of “putting it right.” I like to think of it as an art form because this critical action can result in true masterpieces of all kinds. But if you don’t choose to make it a daily habit, it can be one of the hardest things you do. Without practice, it can be become so hard to do, you just never do it. So, do you want it the easy way or the hard way? I don’t really like this question because sometimes there is no “easy way.”
Here’s the daily math:
Messes in your life = Mistakes in your day you never clean up
Masterpieces = Mistakes in life you worked to put right (daily)
It adds up to this: Avoid letting mistakes turn into massive messes by practicing the art of “putting it right” early and often. It’s the easier way.
Turn mistakes in life into masterpieces.
Mistakes are lessons, be they big or small. And we often make mistakes when MIS-USING important tools we innately possess. We can correct them with the RIGHT USE of those same masterpiece-creating tools called inner strengths. Here’s just one example:
In Your Marriage
MISTAKE: Communication mistakes you are making with each other are often the result of misunderstanding each other’s design-driven motives and drives.
A MESS? Over time, these mistakes add up to a major break down in your relationship. If you’re hurt or angry enough, you can get to the point where you don’t want to put it right. And besides that, you don’t feel you know how to put it right. The hope that anything will change for the better begins to fade quickly.
OR A MASTERPIECE? Your mistakes in understanding how your partner thinks, feels, and acts don’t have to add up to a total mess and the end of the road. “Put it right” by drawing from the masterful use of an inner strength you’ve been designed to use.
Which one of your inner strengths will you draw from to create a masterpiece from your marriage mistakes?
- Wants to make the right impact (an inner strength of the “SP”)
- Must be thoughtful, planned and prepared (an inner strength of the “SJ”)
- Needs to be logical and reasonable (an inner strength of the “NT”)
- Seeks harmony and authentic relationship (an inner strength of the “NF”)
Using your inner strengths the right way provides you the WILL and the STRENGTH to say something like:
- SP: “I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”
- SJ: “I may be missing something here. Help me understand.”
- NT: “Please tell me. Why do you feel this way?”
- NF: “I want to understand you better so we can stay on the same page.”
Want all kinds of masterpieces in your life? Start here.
Do you know which of these inner strengths you possess? SP, SJ, NT or NF?
You are designed to turn mistakes into a fulfilling life, full of healthy relationships. But building a life you love, full of masterpieces, starts with knowing how this inner design works and which inner strengths belong to you (by design).