Did you watch the Oscars this week? Oh-me-oh-my, what a mix-up!!
And it really reminded me so much of just how human we are, and try as we might to prevent mistakes, mess-ups happen. Even to the best of us.
We can plan, organize, schedule each of the details, manage the risk, put the back-up plan in place, and STILL there is potential for human error.
If you haven’t seen the full clip from the Oscars, you can check it out here:
What’s more, sometimes the mess up can have nothing to do with you, but you are the face of it. You’re there at the frontline dealing with it, figuring out what to do to rectify it, often quickly, and minimize the impact.
Just like at the Oscars.
I was struck by the speed and grace with which the cast of La La Land rectified the mistake and handed over the honour to the Moonlight crew for their moment in the spotlight. There was no complaining or frustration in that moment; they just quickly and instinctively rectified the situation.
It made me reflect on the human-ness of us all, and reminded us of our fallibility.
Yet, that’s not something we should be ashamed of or embarrassed to show, is it? Because we are all fallible and imperfect because we are human.
So what’s important here? A striking reminder was offered by the Oscars. It’s how we deal with those mistakes, and bounce back. It’s our resilience and ability to be vulnerable; to admit an error and find the strength to own it, rectify it if possible, learn from it, and try again.
My little man reminds me of this almost daily too. He’s just turned 3, and as he says himself he’s ‘bigger now’, and oh so very independent. He wants to do everything himself. He’s willing to try everything. (More than I am, truth be told!) However, even though he is indeed ‘bigger now’, he’s still little, and still learning. He makes mistakes (and a mess!) frequently. And while some of them are trying, and loaded with frustration for him, he still picks himself up and tries again – determined to get it right next time.
He’s ok being vulnerable.
He doesn’t mind messing up.
He bounces back quickly and gives it another whirl.
He doesn’t dwell on it too long.
He doesn’t let it define him.
He learns from it.
And sticks with it.
He is resilient.
Think about how you feel about mistakes you have made? How do you handle them? How comfortable are you admitting them, and showing vulnerability? How can you help yourself bounce back?