Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life. ~Sophia Loren

I was talking to one of my friends in Brazil earlier this week. She was having a particularly bad day because things had just ended miserably with the guy that she traveled halfway around the world to be with. I felt bad for her. It’s a story that I’ve heard many times before and I’ve experienced it myself. She was beating herself up about it, because it was her second trip to Brazil for something she felt was a mistake.

As I tried to cheer her up, I reminded her that now she had no regrets. She no longer had to wonder several years from now how things would have turned out if she didn’t go. She knew the outcome and even though it hurt no,  with time, she would heal from it. I also reminded her how beautiful of a city she was able to to still be in. (I mean seriously, if things are going to end badly, it’s nice to have sunshine and a beach to drown your sorrows in.) Her trips to Brazil still included great memories that she’ll always have.

Later that day, I came across a blog post that helped validate what I’d said. It contained a quote from playwright Edward Albee. He was relaying a story about a young writer who left school for a year to tour and write in Paris. When asked if the young writer was making the right decision, Albee said he probably wasn’t, but it was ok. He continued:

“I think people should be adventuresome,” Albee said. “I think people should make mistakes. Make the interesting mistakes. The trick is making more interesting mistakes and doing stuff that you may regret, but what’s wrong with that? There’s more regret in what you don’t do than what you do.”

Makes sense to me. In life, you’re bound to make mistakes. Making boring mistakes suck. It’s much better when you have a great adventure to tell about it. I have definitely made some interesting mistakes. I’ve learned from them and the memories still make me smile. And you really should never regret something that once made you smile.

Photo by Abnel Gonzalez. Gotta love flickr.

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1. People Are Living
2. Favorite Memories and Lessons of 2010
3. Why Planning is Bullshit and Adapting is Better