Make New Mistakes!

Hello friends!
Are you all well established in the New Year? Great!
Are you eager to launch all your great plans, follow your wonderful ideas, start your new life? Yes?
Great!
No?
Just give me a minute!

We all know this - one day, some weeks ago, we had a great idea. Or a very special plan with something. Like, painting a whole wall in your room with a picture of distant skies and oceans, or starting your own business selling your art. Or beginning to study a subject that you ever wanted at the University. Or finally writing that novel that waits in the back of your head since you are twelve. Travel somewhere you've ever dreamt of. Learn a strange, wonderful new language. Ask the boy/girl out who you fell in love with (but who doesn't even know who you are).

We really wanted to do it. We felt the desire like a warm, excited buzzing in your stomach* , we started to think about it and then...
... we got afraid. Of course we did.
But what if I make mistakes? What if I paint the wrong stroke and the painting is ruined? What if I don't sell anything? Waht if I fail in tests? What if nobody wants to read my book? What if I break my leg during the journey? What if I pronounce all the words wrong? What if he/she says no?

That's absolutely normal. We all are afraid now and then. Most of us have a sweet little coward  living inside us who wants to protect us by not-changing. By not-moving. He thinks that's all for our very best.
Sometime he's right, but most times, he's wrong.

We are living beings, life is in constant change, so everything new we try is helpful**. Even if it fails.
We are allowed to make mistakes.
From mistakes we learn, by mistakes we get better and better.***

Every time we think about something new, the little coward cries . But don't be angry with him! Better hug him and take him by the hand. Show him that you can try anything, that you can do new things, that every mistake is a step to the next level.

Remember: You're allowed to make mistakes! At least you're doing something!

The title of my journal entry is a quote from Neil Gaiman's New Year's wish in 2011. He's one of my most favoured (if not the most favoured) authors, and when I saw this text, I put it into a picture, printed it and hung it next to my desk. Every time I hesitate, every time I question my work or my way in life, I look at this and I smile.

I made a poster of it and and HERE can you get it for free: fav.me/d5qq5o1

Just print it and tape it onto your desk, your fridge, the front page of your diary, wherever you can see it****. Believe me, it helps!

So please, have a great year, follow your heart, make your project ideas reality. Don't worry.

See you all soon!
love, Antonia

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*remember the inbetween organs? The place where your emotions live and crawl around happily.
** Disclaimer: If you always had this great plan of killing your annoying neighbor, this guy who always does partys and shouts at your door in the middle of the night - don't do it. Please. There are other ways. Call the cops. Call his mom! Or, better: get him a WoW-Account, some free moths of play and you'll probably never hear of him again! And if, just place the newest WoW expansion set at his doorstep. That will do
***Next Disclaimer: If you're a heart surgeon and ever wanted to try brain, please practise. Really. Of course you're allowed to make mistakes, but please make them in a plastic brain Same goes to people who always wanted to fly a helicopter, swim with sharks or wrestle a zombie grizzly bear - praktice first. Some mistakes you only make one time
****Okay, propably not suitable for every surface - I'd imagine your cat isn't so happy about being your personal advertising pillar, could also be difficult to attach it to a fish.
Perhaps if you use waterproof ink?
(Yeah, finally. I really wanted to use that emoticon. Fish, yay!)