Brené Brown
I made a mistake this week. A rookie mistake, to be honest. I was assigned with an article for a specialized news outlet I managed to get in touch with some weeks ago. This was my second publication and, admittedly, I’ve been as at edge about it as a recent graduate could be. I messed up by not scrolling down enough the initial mail my editor sent me, so I didn’t see the report that was supposed to substantiate my research and writing. Instead, I went on reaching out to sources and writing my analysis based on the main idea the editor pointed me to.
When I received his mail asking why wasn’t there any mention on my text about that report he had shared with me, I checked the mail and… horror! There it was. I didn’t know what to do, what to say that could make me sound at least just a bit smarter. But there was no honest excuse so I opted for the truth: I hadn’t scrolled down enough to see the complete content of his email.
During some hours I feared the worst, while waiting his feedback. What do you want me to do? I had asked –do you want me to rewrite some parts to include relevant content from the report? I’m happy to fix this anyway you see it better…I’m so sorry! I Apologize!
This afternoon, I’ve found an amazing TED Talk by Brené Brown which at this point I may believe is the best TED Talk ever as I felt it talked straight ahead to me. Brown summarizes how she spent years trying to find out what makes us, Humans, happy or unhappy. She found that it’s all a matter of connections. People’s need to connect is universally shared, so basically our joy or misery is pretty much originated in the same way, whether you live in Denmark or Mozambique. It turns out that those who can connect more effectively are those who feel they are worthy; they feel there’s beauty on their imperfections, so they are not afraid to be vulnerable.
Later at midday I got a new email from the editor. He appreciated my honesty and told me what to do next. It was such a relief. My piece is published by now. I’m expecting now for the next week to complete my next assignment, hopefully, no more rookie mistakes.
Missing Meanings 