01/19/2026
When we make a mistake and become aware of it, several things unfold almost instantly.
First, the body responds before the mind has time to interpret what happened. A surge of emotion arises as neurotransmitters activate and chemicals like dopamine move through the brain. This happens in fractions of a second—sometimes even before the mistake fully registers in conscious awareness. The body is fast. The science is fascinating.
This reaction isn’t a flaw; it’s purposeful. In humans, this physiological response creates the conditions for reflection and change if our mindset is grounded in neutrality or flow. When we’re able to stay present, the signal becomes information. When we’re not, that same surge of emotion can pull us into an ego response—defensiveness, shame, or self-attack.
What follows depends on our mindset. From a regulated, mindful place, we may respond with accountability, curiosity, learning, and correction. From a dysregulated place, the response may look like denial, frustration, anger, guilt, or a sense of loss.
Mindfulness allows us to pause and see mistakes not as personal failures, but as opportunities our human nature offers us to do better next time. When we shift attention from self-judgment to understanding, we create space for growth—both individually and collectively.
Mistakes are not life sentences of shame. They were never meant to be. Moving beyond that belief is part of our evolution as people and as a society.
So we practice forgiveness—of ourselves, and of those who have caused harm.
That last idea probably sounds familiar.
☮️🫶🏻🧘♀️