I have developed a very recent semi-obsession with TED talks. TED is a nonprofit organization dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” There are tons of speakers – industry leaders, innovators, artists, educators, and investors – who are sharing their thoughts on everything from leadership to artistry to innovation. Some of these talks are downright cool – so says the geek living inside of me.
I watched this TED talk “On Being Wrong” just a few moments ago. Kathryn Schulz, the speaker, apparently wrote a cool book that I need to advance to my ever-expanding “To Read List” called Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error. She challenges the idea that to succeed in life, we must never make mistakes.
The First Time
The first time I thought, “Hey, I have good grades and GRE scores, I’m a shoo-in for any Ph.D. program.” Nope. Instead, I got a slew of rejection letters. And yes, hurt and shame and embarrassment from being wrong stings. Badly.
The Second Time
The second time I was a little less wrong. I managed to score an interview this go-round. This blow was nothing short of almost devastating. Your first instinct might be to start to question if you really have what it takes. You start to seriously consider giving up for good.
Bouncing Back
Dealing with the ego blow is definitely something serious, especially if its means losing your independence and moving back home with your parents, as it did for me. The point is that I didn’t stay here in being stuck. I didn’t recognize it at the time but for each go-round on the Grad School Gauntlet, I emerged a little bit smarter, a little more savvy, a little more knowledge about what I needed to do to better next time.
If your dream career is right in front of you, so close you can touch it but so far away due to not being admitted to grad school, YOU can take a step closer to the success you seek. Do yourself a favor and accept that you just might learn the most through falling flat on your face.
Shame isn’t earned in being wrong. Shame comes in failing to accept the lesson, to learn and grow from it, and dust yourself off and try again, especially if the only thing standing in between you and purposeful or life-transforming work is getting the degree you need in the first place.
