4 Realizations to Get Over ‘What Was I Thinking’ Moments

Photo by Bruce Dixon on Unsplash
We strive to look presentable at all times. We like to portray a nice and confident image in front of everyone.

However, sometimes we end up saying or doing certain things without much thought, which at that point in time may or may not feel like a big deal.

But, the memories of these moments come back to get you. In retrospect, when you think about them, you feel really embarrassed and then beat up yourself for it.

Just thinking about them makes you cringe so hard. You wonder where your brain at was at that time.

These memories can come up randomly to you at any time like when you’re talking to your friends or a when a Facebook memory post comes up and reminds you how stupid and silly you acted before. And if you’re overthinker like me, you would just want to run away in that situation.

There was this phase in my life when I tried really hard to talk more and be more outgoing. I remember one time I was babbling mindlessly in order to appear really cool and confident but ended up saying something really stupid and made a fool of myself in front of everyone.

At that time, I wasn't even aware of what I was saying. Later I realized what an epic facepalm moment it was. I felt horrible and regretted it a lot. I still cringe at that thought, even though I have realized that it is pointless to worry about it now.

When such situations occur, you would want to forget about it as soon as possible but you just can’t. It is frustrating.

While it certainly isn't easy to get rid of such memories, these 4 realizations below are definitely going to help:

1. It’s okay to make mistakes.

Everybody makes mistakes. It’s not really a big deal. Don’t put so much attention on things that make you feel sad or embarrassed. It’s okay to have silly moments once in a while. 

You are unnecessarily punishing yourself by thinking you are just stupid for saying or doing something weird. It is totally not worth your time. You are better off forgiving yourself and moving on.

2. Nobody cares as much as you think they do.

You are worrying due to the thought that people will think you are stupid. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the people watching, you wouldn’t even care. 

Okay, so you acted silly and they laughed. And then they moved on to something sillier and forgot about your little silly act.

Only you remember it vividly because you are the focal person in your life. Likewise, other people put their focus on themselves. So don't worry about what others think of you. They are probably busy worrying about their own awkward moments and won't even remember your epic fail moment.

3. You can’t be absolutely 'proper' all the time.

Don’t be so hard on yourself for your awkward moments. Laugh it off. Don’t take yourself too seriously. As much as you would want to stay in perfect demeanor all the time, it’s not always possible to do that. 

You’re going to have a few slip ups here and there, embarrass yourself from time to time, unknowingly say or do something you shouldn’t have. It is fine. Don’t worry about being perfect all the time. Loosen up a bit.

4. You have grown into a better and sensible person than you were before.

You think you made a fool of yourself and you acknowledged it. You are more cautious than before and you know what not to do now. That is what this is all about. You experience new things and you grow. You get better every day by learning from your mistakes.

You know better now.

Focus your time and energy on something that will actually benefit you rather than wasting your time on something that can’t be undone.

Don’t stay stuck in the past. Move on.

What were your 'what was I thinking' moments like? How did you deal with them?

Share with me in the comments below.

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