“Fulfilling my dream of sailing the Channel solo has meant the world to me, and I really hope that I have inspired other people to follow theirs too."
~ Hilary Lister, World Record Quadriplegic Sailor

2. INSPIRED SPIRIT AWARD

I'm starting something new. The "Inspired Spirit" Award, which honors a person who takes inspired action to live their dreams. This issue the award goes to Hilary Lister.
      Some people may have thought that quadriplegic Hilary Lister, age 33, was making a mistake when she decided she wanted to sail solo across the English Channel this past August. In fact, she wondered too.
      Imagine being strapped down, unable to move, in a 26-foot sailboat for six hours on a windy sea in shipping traffic lanes with just the power of your breath blowing into and sucking out of two straws to keep your boat upright and moving in the right direction. Unbelievable! Doable! Done! Hilary's courage and determination inspire and humble me, who fears for my life at the least bit of wave action when I'm sailing.
      What's even more amazing to me is how Hilary came to this decision. She had considered ending her life because of the unbearable pain and loss of mobility until, as she is quoted in CNN online, "A neighbor told me about Westbere in Kent, where they take disabled people sailing. I wanted to do it immediately and the experience really has changed my life. When I first announced that I was planning to sail across the Channel, I had no idea whether it was manageable or not, but I was frustrated that everyone around me was learning to sail and I was still a passenger. It wasn't easy to convince people it could be done, but my family and friends were just pleased to see me excited about something again."
      Inspiration visited Hilary that day her neighbor mentioned sailing and Hilary took action. Inspired Action. Now, two years later, a decision that many considered a mistake, led to blessings for Hilary and the world: Hilary now holds the world record for the longest solo voyage by a quadriplegic sailor and has reclaimed her life and her future. We are blessed to know again that when we take inspired action, Life rushes in like a surging ocean at high tide and fills us with everything we need to live our dreams now.

Have a question about how to stay inspired? Email me at mary@marymarcdante.com

How do I stay inspired after I've made a mistake?

Having had my share of practice in turning back on the faucet of inspiration after making a mistake (most recently taking an online driving refresher course for speeding), here are some practical and spiritual actions you'll find most beneficial in getting your creative life energy flowing again.

Mistakes come in all sizes. The Mistake Recovery Plan I'm suggesting below isn't necessary for the misspellings you make, the wrong numbers you dial, or when you've forgotten someone's name. Common mistakes that most people make at one time or another call for a sense of humor, self-acceptance, and paying closer attention to what you're doing in the moment.

The steps I'm offering below are for mistakes that make you wish you had another name, the ones that negatively affect others or yourself, intentionally or unintentionally, the mistakes that make you want to hide and avoid others yet require that you step up and take action to correct the situation as quickly as possible.

1. As soon as you recognize you've made a mistake, acknowledge the mistake to yourself in the mirror and say, "I made this mistake. I take full responsibility for what has happened and ask for inspiration and guidance in rectifying it in whatever way I can." Owning this will do wonders for your Spirit, releasing guilt, reconnecting with inspiration, and taking inspired action.
    

2. Write out "just the facts, ma'am" of what happened and who else was involved. (Leave out opinions, blaming, and how you feel about it for now.) This will clarify your thinking.
    

3. Decide what actions you will take to correct the mistake and add that to your written Mistake Recovery Plan. Include:
   
   - Who has been adversely affected by this?
   
   - How will I tell those who have been affected and what will I say?
   
   - Who do I need to apologize to?
   
   - What three actions can I take right now that will make the biggest positive difference in correcting this mistake?
   
   - What else can I do to make things better?
   
   - What will I do to keep myself positive and focused on my strengths and what I can do, not what I've screwed up?
    

4. Create a plan for what you will do to make sure the mistake doesn't happen again and add it to your Mistake Recovery Plan.
    

5. Contact at least two trusted mentors or people whom you respect and ask for their support. This is not the time to hide or turn to people who can't help you make it better. The bigger the mistake, the more wisdom you need. Share your mistake and recovery plan. Ask for positive constructive feedback from them on how you've handled the situation and what else you could do to make things better.
    

6. Revisit your plan and adjust it following your conversations with these trusted people and with your Inspired Self.
    

7. Act on your plan; knowledge without action can lead to more mistakes. Knowledge with action builds leadership.
   - Tell everyone who could be affected by the mistake what happened, what you are doing about it, and how you will prevent it from happening in the future.
   - Remember to apologize, show remorse, ask for their forgiveness, and thank them for their understanding and patience as you rectify the situation.
    

8. After you have taken corrective action, take a deep breath and reflect. Consciously ask yourself how you feel about this mistake and feel it. (The body can only release what is felt.) Say to yourself in the mirror: "I forgive you for this mistake and know you did what you thought was best in the moment. I still love you and believe in you and will help you make better choices in the future." Even if you don't feel this way, say it anyway, and make eye contact with yourself. Your Spirit needs to be released and this will help.
    

9. Look for the lessons and blessings. Write down at least three things you've learned to do differently and three blessings. (If they haven't shown up yet, keep looking; they're waiting for you to notice.)
    

10. Move on. The past is over. The future is in front of you. All you have is now and the actions you take in this moment. When old issues come up, acknowledge them quickly and shift your focus to what you learned and the positive action you're taking as a result of what you learned. Remember the law of 17 seconds! Whatever you think or talk about, negative or positive, for 17 seconds, gets reinforced. Share what you've learned with someone else. You never know who and how it will help someone in the future.

If someone you care about at home or work makes a mistake, turn the above into questions and walk them through the process.

"We do not so much need the help of our friends
as the confidence of their help in need."
~ Epicurus

1. What is your perception of the mistake you made and what responsibility did you have in making it?
    

2. What are the facts? Have you written them down yet? If not, when will you?
    

3. What actions will you take to correct the mistake?
   
   - Who has been adversely affected by this?
   
   - How will you tell those who have been affected and what will you say?
   
   - Who do you need to apologize to?
   
   - What three actions can you take right now that will make the biggest positive difference in correcting this mistake?
   
   - What else can you do to make things better?
   
   - What will you do to keep yourself positive and focused on your strengths and what you can do?
    

4. What plan do you have to make sure the mistake doesn't happen again? Have you written it down? If not, when will you have it completed?
    

5. What two trusted mentors or people whom you respect will you contact to ask for feedback and support in reviewing your recovery plan, resolving this mistake and moving forward?
    

6. Have you revisited your plan and adjusted it following your conversations with these trusted people and with your Inspired Self?
    

7. How have you acted on your plan?
   - Have you told everyone who could be affected by the mistake what happened, what you are doing about it, and how you will prevent it from happening in the future?
   - Have you remembered to apologize, show remorse, ask for their forgiveness, and thank them for their understanding and patience as you rectify the situation.
    

8. How do you feel about this mistake now that you've taken positive action to correct it? Are you willing to forgive yourself and and say to yourself in the mirror: "I forgive you for this mistake and know you did what you thought was best in the moment. I still love you and believe in you and will help you make better choices in the future."
    

9. What are three things you've learned to do differently and three blessings you gained as a result of this mistake and taking action to rectify it? Have you written them down?
    

10. What are you doing to allow yourself to let go of this mistake and keep the river of inspiration flowing in your life now?

What are your thoughts about making and recovering from mistakes? Would you like to reprint this list in your newsletter or link to this page online? Email me at mary@MaryMarcdante.com.

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