Don't Look Back on Your Mistakes

Today I've decided to take this video outside on my deck because it's such a beautiful summer day out. I've got these beautiful flowers in my little handing basket there. Today I'm going to talk to you about looking back. You know as creative people, we so often look back at our lives and go, "That didn't work out," or "I tried this and it just didn't happen like I expected," or "I thought I'd make money at this and I put all that time and effort into it, and it didn't work."

It can be really, really discouraging. I want to encourage you today not to look at your past like that. Just say, you know what, things happen. As creative people we always have lots of ideas. You know you're competent in what you do, but sometimes things don't work out perfectly, and sometimes through no fault of your own.

It's important to put things in context, and say, "Okay, this happened.”

• Why did it happen?
• Is there something I can change?
• Is there something I should do differently?
• Can I do it again?
• Is this the wrong timing?

Sometimes, some of the things that I have done didn’t work out well. World events affected everything, monetary exchange rates, things that I had absolutely no control over.

It's easy to say, "It was my fault. I failed again."

I want urge you not to do that, but instead look at those things in context. Say, "Okay, these are the things that happened. Why did they happen? What can I learn from it? What can I take away? What was positive?"

It is so easy to think about the negative. Oh my goodness! And we tend to go that way. As creative people, self-doubt creeps in and with it all that kind of bad stuff. Just don't go there.

Instead say, "Okay, this is what's positive that happened. This is what I learned. This is what I can take to my next project, to my art career, my writing career, whatever your creative pursuit is.” Look at it that way.

Don't dwell on it. It happened, it's behind you, move forward.

Another thought is, don't entertain those bad memories. Don't invite them in. Don't serve them tea. Don't give them space in your mind, in your heart, in your emotions. Just don't give them space.

Then when those reminders come up, switch them over. Just flip them over and say, "Yes, that happened but…this is the good part. That was then, this is now."

That's my message today. Keep it positive. Keep it forward thinking. Just keep on moving in the direction that your creative dreams are taking you, because it's important. It's important to the world that creative people keep creating. It's just how it is.