It was an unusually wonderful Thursday evening. Instead of staying home and watching Shades of Blue, I was at a bar in Dallas connecting with fellow University of Miami alumni. A couple drinks were had, many stories were shared, and the hours flew by.
Friday morning hit me like a ton of bricks. As I went through my 6 AM zombie-like wakeup routine for one final time that workweek, it dawned on me:
Did I ever pay for my drinks?
The answer was no.
My heart started racing. I’d made many mistakes before, but this was a particularly big one. And the fact that I didn’t even notice the mistake until 12 hours later compounded the issue. In this case, ignorance most certainly was not bliss.
My pride, integrity and morality were on the line. I’d screwed up — and screwed over a waitress who was relying on my gratuity. Immediately, my mind fixated on one question:
How will you respond?
There were really two options: I could have just moved on as if it never happened, or I could have tried to make it right.
I chose the second option.
I called the bar when they opened Friday evening, apologized and tried to settle my tab. It turned out an official from the Alumni office who was at the event had picked up my tab, and I later learned the University had reimbursed him for the expense.
Why am I bringing all this up, aside from sharing how I accidentally got the University of Miami to cover some adult beverages?
Well, in the course of our lives, we will make mistakes. Some of these will be small errors, like accidentally cutting the line at the deli. Others might be more significant, like forgetting to pay for your drinks.
In these cases, what happened doesn’t really matter. How you respond does.
Are you the kind of person who will strive to make it right? The one who will fix what’s broken and learn from your errant ways? Or will you move on down the line as if nothing ever happened?
Your answer depends largely on who you are on the inside. Your moral compass, the standards you set for yourself, your drive to learn and improve — these will all define the choices you make in these moments.
It’s been said that one’s true character is illuminated by the fires of adversity. Well, mistakes are self-inflicted episodes of adversity. The aftermath of these gaffes provide the opportunity for you to show who you truly are and how you can make a difference.
So own your mistakes. Then rectify them.