Yes, it’s true. I made a mistake. I omitted the actual TIME of First Friday Inquiry Jam from the last-call announcement.
Fortunately, many people had already seen the Grace Note the previous day which DID have all the details….but not everyone.
Have you ever made a simply mistake, or omitted something critical, or written the wrong date in your calendar, or gotten someone’s email or phone number mixed up?
It’s shocking how often it happens.
Just this past weekend someone in my neighborhood sent out a last-minute email saying “tickets are still available! Hurry!” about a big fund-raising event. No date, no time of the event (it was that very night). Just like me.
So many little errors, mistakes, missed details.
And sometimes, people can get really upset about these kinds of things, have you noticed?
“What a dunce!” you might say to yourself.
“This screws up everything!” you mutter.
“How could I have possibly missed that editing error?!!” you yell.
Or, you do it to others who have made the very same kinds of little non-life-threatening “mistakes”.
But what if you questioned this belief about ANY mistake that ever was made, by you, or anyone?
This is super fun….let’s take the ride, I think you’ll enjoy it.
Is it true it was a “mistake”? (Think about one, big or small, that you’ve really thought of as wrong, that would be waaaaaay better if you had corrected or caught–or just a wee tiny bit better).
Are you absolutely certain it was a mistake?
I can’t be sure, myself. It seems like it’d be better if people knew what time to dial-in or connect last Friday….but I be absolutely 100% hands-down certain?
No.
How do you react when you think a mistake has been made?
Shouting at the culprit! Whether it’s me, or someone else!
What if it’s your kid, dropping and breaking something? What about a co-worker getting the meeting time wrong? Or how about the hotel mixing up your reservation, or the airline losing your bag?
Do you have a hissy fit and want to blame or attack?
Yikes! It’s rough having this approach.
What if you couldn’t have the thought at all that it WAS a mistake, an error, an omission?
Kind of funny…..but without the thought, I’m not anywhere near as upset. The blaming thoughts relax. There’s no one to blame. There’s just ideal version of the outcome, and THIS version of the outcome….and I notice I have no real idea which one is which.
Turning the thought around is even MORE fun:
There was no mistake, error, omission, wrong-doing.
Wait….what?
But what’s the evidence for nothing really go wrong? How could it be OK that it went the way it did? Are you sure without this supposed mistake that it would have gone better?
I notice, for my situation, the First Friday call was still quite wonderful. Usually only 2-3 people get to inquire anyway, in 75 minutes. Many people love simply listening in, and there were over 18 people there.
What’s the reality of it? I received about 5 emails from people asking for the time….so they were wonderfully helpful, and I now know clearly to check in the future! Also, people will probably remember 7:45 am PT next month on the First Friday (which I intend to keep consist for a long time into the future). And I now know, too, there’s loads of interest in this monthly live call. I can be of service this way.
Wow, there are so many good reasons why it was PERFECT that the time was omitted.
And what a different, and exciting, way to look at the whole picture: that instead of a mistake was made, an adjustment or a gift or a wonderful focus of attention was made.
Or perhaps, in your situation, brilliant things came out of the “mistake” like awareness that the item was not necessary for happiness (in the case of losing or breaking something). Maybe an incredibly creative solution or idea came out of the “mistake”. Maybe it was the only way for two people to truly connect (to discuss the mistake) or because something got accidentally scheduled for the wrong date, everyone got a wonderful laugh together.
Who knows?
Another turnaround: a mistake made ME!
YES! That omission made me pay closer attention, allowed me to have several nice email conversations, reminded me I need to be very simple and share every detail with those who want them.
And I guess, weirdly enough, my omission created my own awareness of this thought that it’s possible to make a dumb mistake….and to take a look all over again and the genius of the universe for unfolding the way it does.
Maybe I have no idea of what fantastic things might come from any mistakes I’ve made…..but how marvelous to have the attitude that “mistakes” are actually corrections, and I’m not the one in charge. Thank goodness I’m not, because things have their way of going alternatively to my perceptions, and with inquiry, it’s usually better than I could have ever imagined.
“There’s no mistake in the universe. It’s not possible to have the concept ‘mistake’ unless you’re comparing what is with what isn’t. Without the story in your mind, it’s all perfect. No mistake…..Everyone is doing his job. No one is more valuable than another. The things in the world that we think are so terrible, are actually great teachers. There’s no mistake, and there’s nothing lacking.” ~ Byron Katie in 1000 Names For Joy
Today, see if you can sit with the thing you thought was a mistake, no matter how terrible you think it actually was, no matter how frightening, dreadful, worrisome, dangerous, sad.
Because, this inquiry is for THOSE dreadful things that happen, too.
Can you find just a small example (start with one) of the viewpoint that it may not have been for nothing, it may not be so bad, it may not mean what you think it meant, that it had nothing to offer?
Was learning involved? Did you notice what was not required for happiness (it can be stunning to become aware that even someone living, for example, or staying married to you, is not required for your happiness).
Because just a wee bit of attention towards this turnaround way of seeing it….
….could change your future, your life, your world.
Really.
And if it seems a little daunting, because you’re thinking of something very difficult for you….just start with the first question.
That was the worst thing ever, a terrible mistake….is it true?
Much love,
Grace