Mistake or Mistaken?

"People put erasers on the ends of pensils for a reason.

It's okay to make mistakes."

-unknown-

We all mess up here and there. Really, it doesn't matter how hard we try, there is always bound to be some imperfection. Nothing is absolute. Not that we can do, anyway. The battle is within ourselves. Am I going to look at this as my mistake, it's all my fault, I will never get it right? Or am I mistaken, and the truth is that it's better to make a mistake and learn from it than to beat myself up over something that I no longer have any control over? There is a lot to be said for knowing when and where to make this distinction. All too often I end up abusing myself because something inside of me always wants to make it 'right,' or 'better,' or even 'perfect.' I have much to learn. Intellectually I know that I will never be perfect, nor will you, my work, or anything else in my life! But emotionally I am holding myself to a standard that is impossible to reach. I know that I wouldn't expect perfection from someone else, so why do I lie to myself, believing that I don't get to have an eraser? I think what it comes down to is not just erasing the mistakes, but learning everytime you pick up the eraser how to make it better next time. Luckily, with a pencil we can always have the option of erasing and starting again.