Mind Sharing a Stupid Mistake?

(from the book One Stupid Mistake, by Charlie Seraphin)

Do you explain away your mistakes with justifications and excuses? Are you prone to repeating the same mistakes? Do you own up to your stupid mistakes, learn from them, and transform bad decisions into positives, or are you foolish enough to think that you’ll repeatedly get away with doing what you know is wrong? Stupid mistakes can ruin hopes and dreams. 

I'm compiling a list of stupid mistakes, from my life, and from friends, family and strangers. My goal is to eliminate at least one stupid mistake. It is a process, not a quick fix, but results begin as soon as we are conscious of our decisions and how they impact us and those around us. As simple as it sounds, the practice of self-control--taking responsibility for our thoughts, words, and actions--eliminates most stupid mistakes.

Elimination of just one stupid mistake can help you accomplish a goal. Wealth, power, fame, love, relationships, health and every other happiness is attainable when you do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason. But first, you have to stop making--One Stupid Mistake (after another).

There are five assumptions that form the basis for my book:

Assumption #1---Each of us knows the difference between right and wrong. Assumption #2---Stupid mistakes cause pain. Assumption #3---If we’re thinking about ways to justify a decision, it’s the wrong decision. Assumption #4---Wondering if we’ll get caught, is the prelude to a stupid mistake. Assumption #5---We can talk ourselves into or out of any decision.

On the flip side, some mistakes have positive outcomes. Many wonderful people are the result of an unplanned pregnancy and Penicillin, Post-it-Notes, the Pacemaker, Viagra and Wheaties are all said to have resulted from mistakes.

You can contribute to my research by sharing a stupid mistake that you made or witnessed. What happened? Why did it happen? What was the result? How could you or the perpetrator prevent it from happening in the future? 

Thanks! I promise to share survey results along with some incredibly stupid mistakes soon. 

Share Your Mistake
---
Image source: Unsplash