Mistakes: To be or not to be?

Sometimes your whole life boils down to one insane move ~ James Francis Cameron

We all know people who are so afraid of making mistakes they don't try new things or venture out into the unknown.  They call themselves perfectionists.  They go to great lengths to avoid anything that may make them look foolish.  If you know someone who is like this, please share this story with them. 

My attitude about mistakes is much different today than it was when I moved out after college.  I promised myself I would never get married.  The failure rate was too high.  Marriage appeared to be too risky.  Then I fell in love.  I completely forgot about my fear of failure and jumped in.  Have I made mistakes as a husband and parent?  Oh yes.  My wife and adult children could write numerous stories about all my mistakes.  They could do standup comedy about their experiences in our household.  But here is the bottom line:  I'm not perfect and I'm not supposed to be perfect.  Neither are you.  You are setting yourself up for failure if you believe you can get through life without making mistakes.  Mistakes are like global positioning satellites that show us when we are off course.  They help us find our way to better solutions.  Mistakes help us become better parents, better spouses, and better members of society.

Here is the question of the day for you about mistakes:  To be or not to be?  I'm curious about your answer.  Please email me or share your answer below in the comment section.