Mistakes vs. Failure

I have a student who calls every mistake a failure. I get it. I used to think that way too. The problem is that a mistake is not the same thing as failure. Mistakes happen all the time. They aren't that big of a deal. I tell my students that recognizing your mistake is half the battle. Once you know what mistakes you are making, then you can correct them. I think it is easier to recognize the mistake as a one time thing. I made a mistake. I know I made a mistake, I know what the correct (note, rhythm, answer) is and I can correct it. A failure feels more like a personal problem. It's easier to go from "I failed" to "I'm a failure." It may be true that you failed something...I'm sure we all have at some point, but it's dangerous to go into the "I'm a failure" mindset. It's too easy to get stuck there and not bother doing anything about it. If you are a failure, you can't fix it. If you make a mistake, you can. You can do better next time. I suppose my main concern is if a student thinks they have control over it or if it is a permanent state. In music, there really aren't permanent states. You are not bad at it, you just have to work harder to improve. You are not a failure, you make mistakes. It's all a learning process anyway. It's fine if you don't understand something or have an off day. Doing the best you can and working to correct your mistakes is the major way that you can avoid failure...and seeing yourself as one.