From the Stanford Technology Venture Program – Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders:

“I can only encourage you to make mistakes.  It is perhaps the most valuable part of the learning experience.  When you make a mistake it’s the only way for you to understand the context of the impact or the cost of your actions. … Just don’t make the same mistake twice. ” – Mark Jung

I try to learn from my mistakes and others’ mistakes, but I have to agree: when you make a mistake it sticks.  Sometimes it’s the pain, sometimes it’s the survival, and sometimes it’s the wonder that you get to experience life in a new way.  Don’t be afraid of mistakes as much as you’re willing to learn from them.