I’ve makes mistakes on my path through life. For some, I’m ashamed, but always they took me closer to where I am now, and that’s not such a bad place.

When I was younger, I let fear and guilt be my motivator. As I grew older, I felt that I had something to prove, so I struck out in a big way. What I learned was that there are choices that you’ll regret, choices that will be mistakes, but as long as you learn from everything you do… you’re on the right path.

Some of my mistakes have been small, others quite grandiose. I’m talking about accidentally wearing two different black shoes to school and being embarrassed, all the way to misspelling the name of an interviewer on a ‘thank you for taking the time’ letter. And let’s not forget the speeding ticket that I forgot I’d received in another state on a road trip that led to a temporarily suspended license. While I let these things run through my head again, and again, I know that at least they led me to where I am.

I still turn beet red when I think of how ridiculous it was to use false bravado with a group of guys in order to cover how shy and nervous I was. I’ll always be mortified by the mistakes I’ve made, it makes me humble. But in the end, I enjoy my life, and I’m proud of who I am, so it can’t really have been that bad of a ride.

For example: I was in a relationship that was more drama than passion. I stayed too long, allowed myself to be objectified and categorized, and made many, many mistakes. But it was a direct result of that relationship that I was ready to accept what my husband had to offer when we decided to have that first date. If I hadn’t stayed so long and become so angry that I took a long hard look at my life, I would never have stopped to figure out exactly what I wanted out of a relationship. I would never have learned that you have to be Partners as well as Lovers. My mistake, the turns I’d taken on my path, led me to the beautiful lane I’m currently walking.

It’s like taking each battle and deciding pass / fail from it, rather than looking at the war as a whole. The mistakes I’ve made have surely been battles, but my life is the war, and I’m absolutely winning.