The Right to be Wrong

The right to be wrong. 

Author and professor David M. Burns has an interesting take on life. "Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life." 

When you are so concerned about not getting it wrong, you limit the risks you are willing to take. When you stake your reputation on always being right you begin to lose your approachability. 

Aspiring to high standards is honorable, but allowing yourself some grace is better still. Being willing to put yourself out there in the name of new learning may require some courage on your part, but the payoff could be immense. 

We learn early in life about success and failure, and find ourselves gravitating toward what we know we can do well. However, it is in our failures that we become wise. 

One of the beauties of getting older is the opportunity to be less concerned about what everyone else thinks. It is a chance "to move forward" as Burns suggest to a less perfect life, but a successful one at that.