Blog

Freedom to make mistakes: I love this quote by Mahatma Gandhi – Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes. In this article, we talk about freedom in your own personal/individual life. Freedom is reflective of choices and the ability to define the path of our lives. In this article, we discuss what these choices mean, mistakes and how well we take ownership of these choices. Ultimately, the freedom to make mistakes is ours to own completely. If these mistakes help us grow and achieve our dreams, then I’d argue that these are the most important things in your life.

This is a beautiful quote from the collection Mahatma Gandhi inspirational quotes. This quote is debated in three segments:

• Meaning of freedom to make mistakes
• Society’s influence on your freedom and personal life
• Getting back up from your mistakes/failures to take charge of your life.

Meaning of Freedom To Make Mistakes

The key questions I’d like to ask in this section are:

• What does the freedom to make mistakes mean to you?
• How do you associate mistakes with confidence and goal setting?

These two are different things, but it is fascinating to understand what they mean to you individually. This helps us differentiate how these definitions impact your ability to take the next steps.

It’s rather funny, but although your life is completely yours, it is influenced by so many people around us. It can be your peers, role models, parents, or well-wishers. Let’s call this society which broadly influences the way we think, speak or even wonder. There is a rebellious spirit within us that wants to shout out and ask society to stay away. At the same time, we are a part of this beautiful construction. To understand the meaning of – the freedom to make mistakes, we have to review how society influences us. Most importantly, you need to identify how to separate yourself from these influences.

The meaning of Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes: In short, the meaning of this quote is – your life is yours to own. This means, that all the challenges and opportunities that come with your decisions are yours to take care of. Society will help you and try to dissuade you from what it thinks is right. But, you ought to remember that it’s only an influencer. It can tell you that something is wrong, but cannot decide for you. Ultimately, everything you do is yours to own – no one else can bear responsibility or ownership for its results.

Why is it so important to have your independence of thoughts to make mistakes?

My inspiration for today’s quote comes from Game of Thrones – Mance Rayder saying

The Freedom To Make My Own Mistakes Is All I Ever Wanted

Mance Rayder, Game of Thrones

The context in which Mance Rayder impresses this quote is different from Mahatma Gandhi’s. However, we focus on freedom in your personal and emotional space. This freedom also refers to your ability to separate yourself from society and its demands. It is also about the freedom to embrace the rebel within us, to think, feel and experience our thoughts.

You don’t need someone’s advice for your decisions

You are the only person who will have the full impact on your life. Everyone else can provide you with input, a fact or an opinion to consider. But that’s all it is. Ultimately, it is you who has to decide what works for you or not. You don’t anyone a bloody explanation. Keep listening to yourself to find out what your heart tells you. And then find a way to do it, sometimes not everyone deserves your story.

I’ve been there, doing things society asked me to. In fact, I’ve wondered why I’ve let it influence me so much although I know that my life is mine to own. The funny thing about society is, that no matter what you do, you’re always wrong. Because you see, society consists of a wide mix of people and their opinions. The best thing you can do is to find a way to be yourself.

Can you let your decisions and life be influenced completely by them? Surely, there is a certain value in taking their feedback. But the freedom and ability to take your decisions are yours alone. We have to accept that trying to please everyone or being perfect is an awful goal. This is precisely where bad standards come from.

Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes

When Gandhi said – Freedom to make mistakes, he probably meant it for the nation. In our explanation, it has taken societal influence instead. We need our ability to make a choice and let our creativity free. This requires removing the shackles of our thoughts about our perception of limitations. Consciously strive to overcome these limiting thoughts about yourself.

Common reasons for these limitations are:

• Society
• Parents
• Peer Group
• Media and Advertising

The last one is the worst of all since it is not even something which cares about you. If these are the things holding you back, what can you do to overcome them? Most times we tend to make the issue bigger than it is. As Mark Twain said

I’ve experienced many terrible things in my life, a few of which actually happened

Mark Twain

Most of these influencers unfortunately are unconscious. It is not really the society or people who can set you free. It is your thoughts, emotions and perception of what your actions mean. If you allow yourself the permission and freedom to make mistakes, you are creating an opportunity for growth.