Bell KS I cannot remember how or when exactly I found this quote, to be quite honest. It was just before the New Year and I remember reading it and instantly knowing it would shape my 2022. It just resonated with me on a deeper level – which sounds super cliché, I am aware.
Before I go on, here is the quote:
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.
Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.”
The quote is by Neil Gaiman, first written, I believe, in his own journal in December of 2011. Definitely quite a while ago, which doesn’t make it any less impactful. The quote seems counterintuitive at first, in complete contrast to all the positive New Year’s resolutions we tend to set. Making mistakes isn’t something one usually wishes for, if anything, I would ask to make fewer mistakes, to be clearer on the right path to take. But I read this quote and KNEW, I had to follow it in 2022. Because for so long I’ve been scared of making mistakes, of being judged and losing what I had worked so hard for. This has always prevented me from doing the things I really want to do – or even just things I want to try out but think I’ll be judged for if they don’t go to plan. The thing is, we all make mistakes, we all get embarrassed and most importantly, we all get judged. No matter how much or little you do, someone will judge you for it. Especially on the Internet and Social Media, we’ve seen it happen time and time again. Therefore, you might as well do the thing you want to do. It’s taking the approach of what’s the worst that can happen and then doing it anyway.
So, in 2022 I hope I make mistakes. I hope I do the things I always wanted to, no matter what others might think. I hope I live life to the fullest, however scary it may be. And I hope you can do the same!
