Sorry, not sorry
Fabulous failures and marvelous mistakes
I was reading blogs recently…as I often do…and came across a combination that got me to thinking: this one on Debs Despatches that asked how you go about making decisions and another on Robby Robin’s Journey discussing women and confidence.
No doubt, one of the biggest roadblocks to making big decisions, or trying new things, is the fear of failure…that voice in the back of our heads that says, “You can’t do that. You’re too this or not enough that. You might fail and look foolish in the process.”
My response to that voice is “And so what if I do?”
Having lived 60 years…and ventured out of my comfort zone a time or two…I have had my share of failures…or at least things that didn’t turn out the way I had planned. I’ve been divorced, passed over for promotion, had book proposals rejected, tried and failed at a sales venture…the list goes on.
Still, when I look back on those endeavors, I realize I gained something from each, and if I were offered a magic wand or a time machine that would allow me to undo those attempts, I wouldn’t take it. I may not have gotten what I was originally aiming for, but I definitely gained experience, knowledge, and even some outcomes that were better than what I thought I wanted in the beginning.
I like to think of these things as fabulous failures or marvelous mistakes.
And it’s not just me. Some of this world’s most interesting inventions were the results of mistakes or failed attempts at something else. Here are just three famous examples of marvelous mistakes that you and I are still benefiting from today.
Famous fabulous failures and marvelous mistakes
Chocolate chips
There are two versions of this accidental creation. As the most-often-repeated story goes, Ruth Wakefield, the owner of Toll House Inn, was trying to make chocolate cookies when she discovered she was out of baker’s chocolate. As a substitute, she broke sweetened chocolate into small pieces and added it to the cookie dough, expecting it to melt and spread, creating chocolate cookies. Instead, what she got were little chocolate bits and the delicious, very popular chocolate chip cookie. The other version has a wobbly mixer tipping chocolate into sugar cookie dough. Either way, the result was a marvelous mistake!
Post-it notes
Spencer Silver, a researcher for 3M Laboratories, was trying to create an adhesive that was stronger than anything on the market, but failed. His invention was actually weaker. It stuck to objects, but could easily be pulled off without leaving a trace. Years later, a colleague began spreading the substance on little pieces of paper to mark his place in a hymnal, leading to the idea for Post-it notes, an undeniably fabulous failure.
Penicillin
There are a couple of different versions of the story of how Alexander Fleming discovered the antibacterial properties of penicillin, but both attribute it to the accidental contamination of a petri dish. No doubt, many of us owe our lives to this marvelous mistake.
You and I may not create a life-changing invention…or maybe we will…but either way, I encourage you to look back on those things you consider mistakes or failures in your past. How many of them would you un-do if you could? I’m not asking if you would change certain aspects or if you would do the same thing again now. I am asking if your life would truly be better now if you had never tried in the first place? I think not.
Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”
~Napoleon Hill
Your turn
- Do you have a fabulous failure or marvelous mistake you’d like to share with us?
- What is your favorite type of cookie?
- When was the last time you used a Post-it note? Do you remember what you wrote on it?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all…I just love hearing from you.
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Image by Pezibear from Pixabay
Do you have a fabulous failure or marvelous mistake you’d like to share with us? My classic mistake is that I bought paint for a bedroom that I wanted to have peach walls. I went with the name of the paint color called Apricots N Cream, not really looking at the color. When we got the paint on the walls the room was Pepto-Bismol Pink. An absolute horror, a complete failure, so we had to paint the room again… this time with a paint color called Peach. Duh?
What is your favorite type of cookie? Snickerdoodle
When was the last time you used a Post-it note? Do you remember what you wrote on it? The last time I used a Post-it note was to scribble some details about how I was changing a recipe. Then I put the note into the cookbook as a reminder.
Oh man, Ally, it’s hard to consider the need to repaint fabulous, but I bet you did learn something, huh? We are getting ready (mentally) to repaint our house, and I will definitely learn from your mistake, so thank you for sharing.
I do love Snickerdoodles. I’m also a fan of gingerbread and oatmeal chocolate chip…if I’m honest, I haven’t met a cookie I didn’t like.
My husband and I use Post-it notes to leave little notes of encouragement for each other, so that was probably the last thing I used one for, but I also have a bunch stuck in cookbooks just to mark my favorite pages.
I can’t think off the top of my head of a fabulous failure that turned into a unexpected marvelous outcome, but I’ve made plenty of mistakes over the years so I can only assume some turned out for the best. 🙂
My favorite cookie is oatmeal raisin, although I have a recipe for a triple ginger (powdered, crystalized, and fresh) cookie that is so yummy!
I love Post-it notes and have a good supply in my desk drawer. I imagine I use several a week for this and that.
Ooh Janis, that triple ginger cookie sounds heavenly. Is that a recipe you are willing to share?
Happy to share (do you have a Contact Me link?)!
It occurs to me that I do not…something to remedy with my future blog redesign. You may send it to info@christiehawkes.com. Thank you!
Hi Christie – I’ve made mistakes along the way too (none with fabulous outcomes though) and all have taught me what to avoid/not do again…..or have taught me lessons and made me stronger. I always feel that they’re horrible at the time, but ultimately made me a better person and showed me what I wouldn’t repeat! The toxic job was the latest and that taught me boundaries and self-respect and that you can’t fix people who don’t want to be fixed….all good life lessons.
Oh and many years ago we painted our lounge room a lovely shade of beige that turned into mauve in certain lights – not a great choice and a lesson in itself too. 🙂
I think that’s the key, Leanne: If a mistake makes us a better person and teaches us life lessons, it is kind of wonderful.
This is the second paint color lesson I’ve read so far. It is challenging to tell what paint will look like in a furnished room based on a small sample. Coupled with our earlier discussion about not being able to picture things in clearly in my mind, I will stick with a neutral color when we re-paint our house. By the way, Larry is better at interior design than I am, so I will rely heavily on him.
Hi Christie. Can I substitute “substitutions” instead of fabulous failure or marvelous mistake? For instance, I was making Kraft mac and cheese (from the box) and realized I was out of milk, so I substituted heavy cream instead. My son loved it so much that I no longer even contemplate using milk when I make mac and cheese.
I had a humanities professor who was an insane person…a sadist, actually. He ran several students off from his class simply because he didn’t like their attitudes or personalities. Still, he had a lot to teach when he wasn’t being an arrogant…not nice person. So I purposely failed his class…didn’t show up on finals day or turn in the assignment he gave only me to do because he was picking on me. Best “F” I ever received. Come to think of it, the only “F” I’ve ever received. I’m very proud of that!
I love Post Its. I used to use them in a job where I had to keep up with a multitude of things at any given time. I’d run around all day long like a crazy woman and I found that making lists wasn’t working for me. Instead, I started writing each thing I had to do on a different sticky note as the situation came up. When I completed that task, I crumpled up the sticky note and threw it away. My day was over when I had no more sticky notes left! It was incredibly gratifying…probably provided a release of serotonin each time I did.
Have you ever taken one of the cookies from Chick-Fil-A and heated it up for about 13 seconds in a microwave? Yeah. That cookie is my fav.
Great post and great questions! Also, I need to put a sign up in my office that asks me “What Fabulous Failure or Marvelous Mistake have you made today?” to remind me to push myself. I was reading an article about what parents do to raise successful kids. One of the things that was suggested was for parents to encourage their kids to make mistakes and grow from them. It allows kids to realize that the world will not come to an end and that it’s just part of life. Your post just reinforced that idea. Thank you for that. I’ve become timid over the last couple of years. I need to cut that out and go out and take more risks!
Mona
Hello Mona and welcome to my blog. I love that you made a substitution out of necessity and found out it was better than the original. Score one for you! And choosing to fail a course was a brave decision. The absurdity of a humanities professor who was anything but humane doesn’t escape me. I too love Post-its, but not as much as my husband does. He uses them much like you do…they are everywhere! Perhaps the most important takeaway from your comment for me, though, is that I must try the Chick-Fil-A cookies, heated in the microwave of course. I’ve never had one. Good luck to you with your newfound desire to take a risk. I hope it leads you to something wonderful.
I am the Queen of Mistakes. Some of them have made me a much more tolerant person than I would have been otherwise. I’m still short tempered and I’m fine with that. No more refiner’s fire please.
Just think of the amazing journey your “mistakes” have taken you on, sister. They made you the Wonder Woman that you are today. I love you! ❤️
Many times my laughter is because of my mistakes, and laughter is supposed to be healthy, right?
I often mix up words in titles and quotes etc. My kids call them “momisms” or Mark calls them “Cindyisms”. Sometimes they’re pretty funny!
But seriously, I know I could take more risks. I’m definitely afraid of failure.
Laughter is good for you, and if you can laugh at yourself, that’s even better. What is something you would like to do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
Can you imagine a world without chocolate chips, Post-its and Penicillin? Although I am allergic to the latter. I do enjoy having the first two mistakes as a part of my almost daily life. Used to teach the kids a summarizing trick using Post-its when I was a librarian. And chocolate chips make everything better. Especially plain nonfat Greek yogurt…when combined with sweetened coconut flakes.
Mistakes and failures…I have made more than my share. Had I not made the mistake of marrying my daughters’ father I wouldn’t have my girls. And had I not made the mistake of marrying my second husband, I would not have learned how to be an independent single mom when we divorced. And would never have met PC. I am lucky in mistakes.
Yes, Leslie, I too regularly enjoy Post-its and chocolate chips. I have not tried chocolate chips with Greek yogurt and coconut though. Sounds like a delicious combination.
Like you, I can’t regret my failed marriage, which resulted in two amazing daughters and a lot of knowledge that made my second marriage much better. I love how you put it: I am lucky in mistakes.