Mistakes Are for Learning
Bully Behavior Curriculum Page 30
Author: Lynne Namka, Ed. D
What is the one good thing about making a mistake?
Mistakes are made so we can learn. One way that human beings learn is through making errors. We call this trial by learning. Ask them why pencils have erasers and why we have White Out. Highways have U turns so we can change our mind if we go the wrong direction. Mistakes are for learning. It is okay to make a mistake, if you learn something from it.
It’s a much better ideas to use your energy learning from what you did wrong instead of beating yourself up. You can make a choice when you goof up:
- Catch yourself making the error.
- Figure out what you did wrong.
- Figure out what you can do differently next time.
- Correct the error.
- Pat yourself on the back for figuring it out.
OR!
- Blow up. Have a temper tantrum.
- Use put downs on yourself. Beat yourself up.
- Blame someone else.
- Go around with a bum attitude.
Hint: Stop beating yourself up. It’s natural to make mistakes. Why do you think pencils have erasers. Why do computers have delete buttons? Go easy on yourself and learn from your mistakes! It’s OK to make mistakes if you learn from them and clean up your act.
Negative self talk either out loud or silently is a learned behavior where you say hurtful things to yourself after doing something wrong. Calling yourself names is a way of punishing yourself. Put downs on yourself like I’m stupid does not correct the problem.
Negative thoughts are habits that have been programmed into your brain. Like other habits they can be stopped and broken into.
Thought Stoppage phrases break into thoughts and interrupt them.
Then you distract yourself into something pleasant.
Thought Stoppage tools for interrupting hurtful thoughts:
- Draw a stop sign on the palm of your hand. When you hear yourself starting to say something hurtful, look at the stop sign and yell Stop! Then say, I stop my put downs on myself.
- Imagine you have the World’s Biggest Eraser to erase the negative thought by rubbing it on your head.
Helper Words To Stop Beating Yourself Up:
- I can be gentle with myself. I erase my bad thoughts.
- I don’t have to beat myself up.
- I can learn from mistakes.
- I use my thought stoppage ideas to keep my mind free of clutter.
- My brain deserves only positive thoughts. I send negative thoughts packing!
