Music Therapy with Miss Moon

" A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."
~ George Bernard Shaw

" We must not say every mistake is a foolish one."
~ Cicero

" If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner."
~ Tallulah Bankhead

A few weeks ago, a major setback with my Father's health left me devastated. He was feeling defeated, and my family and I all felt powerless, because we felt like he was giving up and might not possess the willingness to prevail.

I was so despondent, I lacked the energy to do anything, so for three days, I didn't go on my walks, I wasn't trying to eat healthy, I wasn't sleeping, I didn't go to a meet up I was really looking forward to... In other words, I checked out for a while. And the whole time I was in limbo, I was feeling horrible about giving up. A part of me was urging me to keep going, with the promise that walking and moving will improve my mood... but I really wasn't trying to hear it.

Last week, after visiting my Dad (He's on the mend!) and seeing him in much better spirits, I felt an enormous weight being lifted off of my shoulders. All of the shame, and regret and disappointment I felt about the days past left me as well.

I've known for a while that nothing can make you feel stagnant like shame, and in knowing that... I refused to feel that way anymore. If I stayed curled up in bed out of fear of making another mistake... what's the lesson in that? Where's the growth? I told myself that this set back doesn't ruin my progress, at all. And in doing so, I felt ready to pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again. And I did! I went for my walk, even though I didn't want to and hadn't slept in almost twenty four hours. But I took BOTH of my walks that day, and I learned something very important in the process.

I actually found gratitude for a mistake I had made. That's HUGE for me, because I usually wring my hands and just feel overall ickiness for past mistakes. I found the best lesson and blessing in making a mistake.... the fact that you can change it! You have the power to turn it around if you want it turned. I did, and so... I did! And in honor of making mistakes, this week's Music Therapy with Miss Moon is from Fiona Apple. It's a song not only about making mistakes, but openly seeking them out! There's a wisdom in that, I think!!

Here's "A Mistake". I hope that all of you will embrace your mistakes and learn from them.



I'm gonna make a mistake-
I'm gonna do it on purpose
I'm gonna waste my time
'cause I'm full as a tick
And I'm scratching at the surface
And what I find is mine

And when the day is done, and I look back
And the fact is I had fun, fumbling around
All the advice I shunned, and I ran
Where they told me not to run, but I sure
Had fun, so

I'm gonna f**k it up again
I'm gonna do another detour
Unpave my path
And if you wanna make sense
Whatcha looking at me for
I'm no good at math

And when I find my way back,
The fact is I just may stay, or I may not
I've acquired quite a taste
For a well-made mistake
I wanna mistake why can't I make a mistake?

I'm always doing what I think I should
Almost always doing everybody good
Why...

Do I wanna do right, of course but
Do I really wanna feel I'm forced to
Answer you, hell no
I've acquired quite a taste
For a well-made mistake, I wanna
Make a mistake, why can't I make a mistake

I'm always doing what I think I should
Almost always doing everybody good
Why...

Be Blessed: Making Mistakes

" Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes." Confucius

This may come as a great surprise... but I'm far from being perfect! LOL

I've discovered that when I make mistakes, no consequence is more difficult to endure than the negative talk that goes on within. A simple human error becomes an inner dialog in which all the things I feel inadequate about are brought to light and presented... my failure being the proof of it all.

Forgiving myself for making mistakes is something that I am working on, so I knew that I wanted to share this process because I am sure many of you are like me in this regard. One minor error, one failure to communicate and your self esteem is in the cross-hairs.

We forgive the people in our lives: friends, family, co-workers, significant others for same things we continue to beat ourselves up about. Something that "isn't that big of a deal" when done by others becomes seemingly catastrophic when we make that same error.

Alexander Pope's famous quote is "To err is human, to forgive is divine". Very true, especially, I believe, when we forgive ourselves.

Forgiveness Affirmation

I approve and love of myself, I am heathy, beautiful, loving, giving, I give thanks for all that I have and all that I shall be. I am open to all possibilities. I have abundance in all areas of my life,I begin again and again, to reinvent myself daily.

This week I am going to remember that when I make a mistake, I am being given a lesson in forgiving myself, and in doing so, I am given a tremendous a blessing.