When you have Goofed

I feel good....tararararara, i knew that I would now..... ....tararararara, so good, so good.........no and no, I don’t work for Nigerian Breweries and I’ve not had a bottle of Maltina either. Naaa, not today. I’m just happy about this sudden white space on my calendar that affords me ‘chance’ to finally off-load these thoughts clogging my cute little head.......lol! Na wetin you talk? For real, my head is cute and I carry something wey you wan hear............lol, just teasing.

How’s it been.....I mean your 'runs', ......working hard to be on top of it right? Whew! It’s a game and I really hope you win; Winners are celebrities and I bet you want to be one. Seriously, talking about winning a game – and hold it, I don’t mean the tap dance we often see from FC's like the blues (chelsea), yellows (Man-U) and all, but the ever fantastic performance that distinguishes the reds (Gunners!) - the most popular football club in the world!!! Yeah, i mean good game............ – I know some of you that staged melodramatic pranks or premiered a lover’s test during the last April fool’s day did find the rabbits you were chasing, and praise God, you......won the lottery? Just thank your stars.

Agreed, Champions live for those make-it or break-it pivotal moments in a contest that make great theatre. They like to win spectacularly and extraordinarily for the records and in order [I guess] to have a story to tell – one that will be remembered for a long, long time, yet, their instincts fail them sometimes. So you’re very lucky to have won your lover's test game.

To my peeps that lost big time and are wallowing in regret, I sympathize with y’all and for love, specially dedicate this post to you.

Taking a guess, your prank boomeranged either as a result of tactlessness, indolence or ill-luck in which case; though you had carefully thought it over, something or somebody appeared from now where and spoilt your market, and your prank inadvertedly turned out the wrong way. And as the initiator, you’re unhappy at the results, wishing to God they never happened. Pele.....such is life.

Truth be told, everyone goofs and makes mistakes and takes foolish decisions once in a while. No one is above board in it; professionals and amateurs alike, including those of us who qualify as God's children. We have all made mistakes at one time or the other; Henry Ford forgot to put a reverse gear in his first automobile, Eve ate the forbidden fruit, and Samson revealed the secret of his supernatural powers to Delilah. Want more? Well, Judas betrayed Jesus, and Peter of all people denied Him!

Yes you may have made decisions or taken steps that made you look stupid, that saddened other people and perhaps injured your reputation before God and man; you may feel that there is nothing that could ever fix your humiliation, the disappointment you have caused your Father in Heaven and the sadness you have caused others, but like these persons, save Judas [who wallowed in guilt and eventually committed suicide], you can pick up the pieces again.

Mistakes are not without remedy; wrongs can be made right, at least most of them. If you’re willing. And I mean the willingness to correct your mess. All it takes is a genuine remorse for your shortcomings and a corrective commitment on your part to do whatever it takes, against all odds, to get back what you’ve lost. What you have to do?

Buzz Heaven for mercy!

God is a forgiving God; when we turn to Him for mercy, He never fails us. He forgives, accepts us, and lifts us up again to our feet, no matter what has happened. And faithfully, He will make ALL things (including our messes) work together for good, because we love Him (Rom 8:28). In doing this, He will heal the wounds of those we have hurt in a way and in the time that He sees best. And trust Him; He knows just what to do. It probably will hurt to see that the healing takes long. We will wish so much that we could turn back the hands of time, so what we did never happened. But we really cannot. We can only move forward, and allow God do what He alone can do – repair our lives and mend our broken relationships.

Own up!


Take responsibility for your actions and sincerely acknowledge that you have made a mistake (even if the other person was wrong too in some way). You need to admit your errors before someone else exaggerates them – I’m sure you don’t want that. Some people refuse to accept that they did anything wrong – it was someone else. They rationalize, make excuses, justify, and blame. What they fail to realize is that there is a certain degree of satisfaction in courageously admitting one's errors. Not only does it clear up guilt and defensiveness, it often accelerates progress by helping to solve the problem. Accepting responsibility in situations like this is very liberating. It may be hard yet it demonstrates strength, courage, and a commitment to personal excellence i.e. that you care about yourself and the other person, and are willing to make things right.

Learn your lesson!


Appreciate your mistakes for what they are and learn the precious life lessons that they teach. If the lesson in your mistake is not meant for you, perhaps it is for those who will hear your story. Mistakes serve to show us what needs improving or what we need to work on. They point at areas where perhaps we are deficient, need additional knowledge, or need to re-evaluate our approach. Learn what you need to know and put systems in place to avoid repeating the same mistake in future.

Act fast!


Immediately take concrete steps to correct your mistakes. Mistakes in a sense are errors that we fail to correct in time. Perhaps, if we had been careful with our prank, replaced the piece we broke, stopped taking that call, or quit doing that thing, that whole episode wouldn’t have happened. Perhaps too, if we had said a prompt and honest ‘sorry’, that issue wouldn’t have dragged until now and everyone would have been happier! Timing is key here. Always correct your mistakes before they go sour.

Move on!


Don't wallow in regret or disappointment. When you’ve made a mistake, especially a visible one, it’s natural to question your ability to perform next time. But you must get past your doubts. Most of us have a habit of beating ourselves up mentally over and over again. It is not God's will for you to remain in sorrow forever or for you to bow in shame for the rest of your life, over your mistake. Oprah Winfrey once said “Your mistake does not define who you are...you are your possibilities”. The past cannot be changed, yes. But the future is yet in your hands, and there’s no telling how much good and how much possibilities you can still achieve with it. However, it’s your call whether to live this future courageously or crash it in self-pity.

Loosen Up!


Be open to making mistakes in the future. Accept that mistakes are a part of our everyday life. I read somewhere that as long as the world is turning and spinning, we're going to be dizzy and we're going to make mistakes – we’re going to take wrong turns, hurt someone's feelings, or make bad choices. Honestly if you're not making mistakes, you're not taking risks, and if you’re not taking risks, you're not going anywhere! Having said that, one of the greatest mistakes we can make in life is to continually fear that we will make one. Do not be afraid of making mistakes; what is important is that you promptly correct them in your journey towards the fulfilment of your goals and dreams.

Laugh at you!


Laughing at your mistakes can lengthen your life but laughing at someone else's can shorten it, be warned! Seriously, one way to know you’ve reached a healthy place in your recovery process is how much humour you can make of it. It might take a few days, but eventually you’ll see some comedy in what happened. When friends tell stories of their mistakes doesn’t it makes you laugh? Well then, laugh and make others laugh about your own. Humour is known to loosen up our psychology and prevents us from obsessing about the past.

Make your experiences in life be more rewarding and sassylicious!

God bless.